Background: The pharmacological activities of the natural product isobavachalcone, such as antimicrobial activity, reverse transcriptase blockade, and antioxidant property have been extensively reported. Whereas, its antimicrobial and biofilm-inhibitory effects on clinical E. faecalis strains in China, along with its potential mechanisms, are still not fully clear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytosis is a rare autoimmune encephalitis discovered in the last decade. The diagnosis depends on clinical symptoms, imaging, and antibody testing. However, most cases require several months or even longer to make a definite diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: BMAL1, a key regulator of circadian rhythms, plays a multifaceted role in brain function. However, the complex interplay between BMAL1, memory, neuroinflammation, and neurotransmitter regulation remains poorly understood. To investigate these interactions, we conducted a study using BMAL1-haplodeficient mice (BMAL1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfections and antimicrobial resistance are becoming serious global public health crises. Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections necessitate novel antimicrobial development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rise of antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA), presents a significant challenge in clinical settings. There is a critical need for new antibacterial agents to combat these resistant strains. Our study reveals that the uricosuric drug Benzbromarone (Benz) exhibits potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 8 to 32 μg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranging from 32 to 128 μg/mL against clinical isolates of , , , and .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt Immunopharmacol
November 2024
Cholinergic circuit defects have been linked to various neurological abnormalities, yet the precise mechanisms underlying the impact of cholinergic signaling on cognitive functions, particularly in the context of neuroinflammation-associated, remain poorly understood. Similarly, while the dopamine receptor (D2R) has been implicated in the pausing of cholinergic interneurons (CIN), its relationship with behavior remains inadequately elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether D2R plays a role in the regulation of fear and memory in the Hsp60 knockout condition, given the non-canonical involvement of Hsp60 in inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-positive pathogens present a significant challenge to global healthcare. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a particular concern because of its high resistance to most antibiotics. Based on our previously reported chemical structure of compound 62, a series of novel derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe primary obstacles in the management of and infections are drug resistance and biofilm formation. Our study revealed that loratadine at a concentration of ≥25 μM exhibited significant inhibitory effects on biofilm formation in 167 clinical strains of and 15 clinical isolates of , , and . Additionally, the antibiofilm activity against and was demonstrated by several loratadine derivatives with altered side-chain carbamate moieties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiofilm is a group of heterogeneously structured and densely packed bacteria with limited access to nutrients and oxygen. These intrinsic features can allow a mono-species biofilm to diversify into polymorphic subpopulations, determining the overall community's adaptive capability to changing ecological niches. However, the specific biological functions underlying biofilm diversification and fitness adaptation are poorly demonstrated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen that can cause a wide range of infections in humans. Biofilms play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of S. aureus and contribute to its ability to cause persistent and chronic infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
August 2024
Genetic knockout and pharmaceutical inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome enhances the extinction of contextual fear memory, which is attributed to its role in neuronal and synaptic dysregulation, concurrent with neurotransmitter function disturbances. This study aimed to determine whether NLRP3 plays a role in generalizing fear via the inflammatory axis. We established the NLRP3 KO mice model, followed by behavioral and biochemical analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFinfections pose a significant clinical challenge due to their multidrug resistance and propensity for biofilm formation. Exploring alternative treatment options, such as repurposing existing drugs, is crucial in addressing this issue. This study investigates the antibacterial activity of candesartan cilexetil against and elucidates its mechanism of action.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: can cause a series of infections including otitis media (OM), and the oxacillin-resistant has become a serious health concern. This study aimed to investigate the genomic characteristics of two strains of oxacillin-resistant and -positive isolated from the samples of ear swabs from patients with OM and explore their acquired antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the mobile genetic elements (MGEs).
Methods: Two oxacillin-resistant strains, isolated from ear swab samples of patients with OM, underwent antimicrobial susceptibility evaluation, followed by whole-genome sequencing.
Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is involved in the stress-response processes and is hypothesized to be a risk factor for depression by means of mitochondrial dysfunction. However, their exact roles and underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. ApoE4 transgenic mice (B6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The relationship between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue compositions and risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) treatment needs to be investigated.
Methods: A total of 282 patients were collected from two medical centres. The median time of follow-up was 48.
The rapid proliferation of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens poses a serious threat to healthcare worldwide. Carbapenem-resistant (CR) Enterobacteriaceae, which have near-universal resistance to available antimicrobials, represent a particularly concerning issue. Herein, we report the identification of AMXT-1501, a polyamine transport system inhibitor with antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and -negative MDR bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity and potential mechanisms of SC-43 by analyzing the global proteomics and metabolomics of HepG2 cells exposed to SC-43.
Methods: The effect of SC-43 on cell viability was evaluated through CCK-8 assay. Proteomics and metabolomics studies were performed on HepG2 cells exposed to SC-43, and the functions of differentially expressed proteins and metabolites were categorized.
Objective: Long-term antiviral treatment is necessary for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, and treatment safety is imperative for these patients. Previous studies showed tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has shown efficacy non-inferior to that of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with improved renal and bone safety. However, there is still a lack of a rapid and convenient method to identify CHB patients at high risk of osteoporosis before initiating antiviral treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gexia-Zhuyu Tang (GZT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is used to treat a variety of diseases. However, its roles in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of modified GZT in GC.
In December 2022, the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) became dominant in China due to its high infectivity and lower mortality rate. The risk of critical illness and mortality among patients with hematologic malignancies who contracted SARS-CoV-2 was particularly high. The aim of this study was to draft a consensus to facilitate effective treatments for these patients based on the type and severity of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe translational defect has emerged as a common feature of neurological disorders. Studies have suggested that alterations between opposing and balanced synaptic protein synthesis and turnover processes could lead to synaptic abnormalities, followed by depressive symptoms. Further studies link this phenomenon with eIF4E and TrkB/BDNF signaling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDopamine receptors can form heteromeric interactions with other receptors, including glutamate receptors, and present a novel pharmacological target because it contribute to dopamine-dysregulated brain disorders such as addiction and other motor-related diseases. In addition, dopamine receptors D2 (D2Rs) and glutamate NMDA receptors subtype-NR2B have been implicated in morphine use disorders; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the heteromeric complex of these two receptors in morphine use disorders is unclear. Herein, we focus on interactions between D2R and NR2B in morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and hyperlocomotion mice models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurotherapeutics
October 2023
Dopamine and serotonin signalling are associated with major depressive disorder, which is a prevalent life-threatening illness worldwide. Numerous FDA-approved dopamine/serotonin signalling-modifying drugs are available but are associated with concurrent side effects and limited efficacy. Thus, identifying and targeting their signalling pathway is crucial for improving depression treatment.
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