Ethnobotanical Survey and Pharmacological Screening of Medicinal Plants Used as Antihypertensive in Sefrou Province (Middle-North of Morocco): Benefits and Challenges.

Herbal medicine was used since the old time in the treatment of different types of diseases in Sefrou province, Morocco. However, few studies have been carried out to identify local medicinal flora and to scientifically document the knowledge of the traditional use of these medicinal plants by the population. This study aims to investigate the medicinal plants in Sefrou province, record their usage in folk medicine by the population and evaluate the hypotensive effect of selected plants using vascular activity.

Short-Term Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Cardiorespiratory Response at Submaximal, Ventilatory Threshold, and Maximal Exercise in Women with Severe Obesity.

Purpose: People with obesity have varying degrees of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal dysfunction that affect aerobic exercise testing variables. Short time after bariatric surgery, these dysfunctions could affect both peak oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text] O peak), the gold standard for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and aerobic capacity evaluated with ventilatory threshold (VT1). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effect of bariatric surgery, i.

LIM Kinases, LIMK1 and LIMK2, Are Crucial Node Actors of the Cell Fate: Molecular to Pathological Features.

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) and LIM kinase 2 (LIMK2) are serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases and the only two members of the LIM kinase family. They play a crucial role in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics by controlling actin filaments and microtubule turnover, especially through the phosphorylation of cofilin, an actin depolymerising factor. Thus, they are involved in many biological processes, such as cell cycle, cell migration, and neuronal differentiation.

Intrahippocampal Inoculation of Aβ Peptide in Rat as a Model of Alzheimer's Disease Identified MicroRNA-146a-5p as Blood Marker with Anti-Inflammatory Function in Astrocyte Cells.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have aroused a lot of interest as reliable blood diagnostic biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we investigated the panel of expressed blood miRNAs in response to aggregated Aβ peptides infused in the hippocampus of adult rats to mimic events of the early onset of non-familial AD disorder. Aβ peptides in the hippocampus led to cognitive impairments associated with an astrogliosis and downregulation of circulating miRNA-146a-5p, -29a-3p, -29c-3p, -125b-5p, and-191-5p.

Ultrasound sensitive O microbubbles radiosensitize murine breast cancer but lead to higher metastatic spread.

The inadequate level of oxygenation in tumors has been shown to correlate not only with greater invasiveness of cancer cells, but also with a reduction in their sensitivity to anticancer therapies. Over the years, many attempts have been made to increase the oxygenation level of cancer, but most of them have been ineffective. We investigated the heterogeneous response of tumor tissue to phospholipid-coated oxygen microbubbles (OMB) in murine tumors in vivo using oxygen and hemoglobin saturation mapping and the influence of OMB treatment on microvasculature, perfusion, and radiotherapy effectiveness.

Gasdermin D membrane pores orchestrate IL-1α secretion from necrotic macrophages after NFS-rich silica exposure.

IL-1α is an intracellular danger signal (DAMP) released by macrophages contributing to the development of silica-induced lung inflammation. The exact molecular mechanism orchestrating IL-1α extracellular release from particle-exposed macrophages is still unclear. To delineate this process, murine J774 and bone-marrow derived macrophages were exposed to increasing concentrations (1-40 cm/ml) of a set of amorphous and crystalline silica particles with different surface chemical features.

Glucosinolates and Cytotoxic Activity of Collard Volatiles Obtained Using Microwave-Assisted Extraction.

Glucosinolates (GSLs) in L. convar. var.

(Linn.) Leaf and Bud Extracts and Their Combination Attenuates Type-1 Diabetes and Its Complications via the Inhibition of Oxidative Stress.

The current work was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antidiabetic effect of L. extracts. For that, the leaves and buds of L.

Effect of Wide-Spectrum Monochromatic Lights on Growth, Phytochemistry, Nutraceuticals, and Antioxidant Potential of In Vitro Callus Cultures of .

, also called miracle tree, is a pharmaceutically important plant with a multitude of nutritional, medicinal, and therapeutic attributes. In the current study, an in-vitro-based elicitation approach was used to enhance the commercially viable bioactive compounds in an in vitro callus culture of . The callus culture was established and exposed to different monochromatic lights to assess the potentially interactive effects on biomass productions, biosynthesis of pharmaceutically valuable secondary metabolites, and antioxidant activity.

Reversible stabilization of DNA/PEI complexes by reducible click-linkage between DNA and polymer. A new polyplex concept for lowering polymer quantity.

Nonviral transfection of mammalian cells can be performed with electrostatic complexes (polyplexes) between a plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding a foreign gene and a cationic polymer. However, an excess of the cationic polymer is required for pDNA condensation and polyplexes formation, which generate in vivo toxicity. Here, we present a new concept of polyplexes preparation aiming to reduce the polymer quantity.

Anticancer properties of bromelain: State-of-the-art and recent trends.

Bromelain is a key enzyme found in pineapple (.); a proteolytic substance with multiple beneficial effects for human health such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic, traditionally used in many countries for its potential therapeutic value. The aim of this updated and comprehensive review focuses on the potential anticancer benefits of bromelain, analyzing the cytotoxic, apoptotic, necrotic, autophagic, immunomodulating, and anti-inflammatory effects in cancer cells and animal models.

Reinvestigating the Preferential Enrichment of DL-Arginine Fumarate: New Thoughts on the Mechanism of This Far from Equilibrium Crystallization Phenomenon.

Preferential enrichment (PE) is a crystallization process, starting from either a racemic of slightly enantio-enriched solution (ca. +5%) that results in a high enantiomeric excess in the liquid phase (>+90%ee) and a slight opposite excess in the deposited crystals (−2 to −5%ee). The mechanism(s) of this symmetry-breaking phenomenon is (are) still a matter of debate since it eludes rationalization by phase diagram formalism.

"Freezing" Thermophiles: From One Temperature Extreme to Another.

New detections of thermophiles in psychrobiotic (i.e., bearing cold-tolerant life forms) marine and terrestrial habitats including Arctic marine sediments, Antarctic accretion ice, permafrost, and elsewhere are continually being reported.

Confocal imaging of biomarkers at a single-cell resolution: quantifying 'living' in 3D-printable engineered living material based on Pluronic F-127 and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Background: Engineered living materials (ELMs) combine living cells with non-living scaffolds to obtain life-like characteristics, such as biosensing, growth, and self-repair. Some ELMs can be 3D-printed and are called bioinks, and their scaffolds are mostly hydrogel-based. One such scaffold is polymer Pluronic F127, a liquid at 4 °C but a biocompatible hydrogel at room temperature.

Defining a generic column set for achiral supercritical fluid chromatography applied to pharmaceuticals or natural products.

When starting a method development in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the first step is usually to screen several stationary phases based on previous experience or simply based on what is available in the laboratory. However, as there are now a large number of stationary phases available for SFC, the choice of an adequate set of columns to rapidly achieve a satisfying result can be difficult. In this project, 16 columns comprising a wide diversity of stationary phases and polarities ranging from the most polar (like bare silica gel) to the least polar (like octadecylbonded-silica) were compared, based on the gradient analysis of 129 probe compounds.

Effect of dilution solvent and injection volume on the analysis of basic hydrophilic therapeutic polypeptide salts with pressurized carbon dioxide mobile phases.

The chromatographic analysis of long-chain hydrophilic therapeutic peptides, with molecular weight mostly in the 3500-4500 Da range (31-34 amino acids), is explored with pressurized CO in the mobile phase. The optimal method was obtained on a Torus 2-PIC column, with a gradient elution of 50-90% co-solvent in CO, which is relevant of enhanced-fluidity liquid chromatography (EFLC). Both UV (210 nm) and mass spectrometric detection modes were employed to assess the purity of the major peak and its resolution from impurities.

STING Targeting in Lung Diseases.

The cGAS-STING pathway displays important functions in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity following the detection of microbial and host-derived DNA. Here, we briefly summarize biological functions of STING and review recent literature highlighting its important contribution in the context of respiratory diseases. Over the last years, tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of STING activation, which has favored the development of STING agonists or antagonists with potential therapeutic benefits.

Increasing oxygen tension in tumor tissue using ultrasound sensitive O microbubbles.

Low tissue oxygenation significantly impairs the effectiveness of cancer therapy and promotes a more aggressive phenotype. Many strategies to improve tissue oxygenation have been proposed throughout the years, but only a few showed significant effects in clinical settings. We investigated stability and ultrasound pulse (UP) triggered oxygen release from phospholipid coated oxygen microbubbles (OMB) in vitro and in murine tumors in vivo using EPR oximetry.

Oil and renewable energy returns during pandemic.

We explore the global interactions between oil and renewable energy returns during the Covid-19 pandemic between July 2019 and June 2020. Moreover, we reflect on market stress and global economic activity. In order to deal with challenges generated by exogenous shocks coming from financial, economic or pandemic areas, a battery of advanced time-frequency domain methods is applied, ranging from wavelet transformation and wavelet coherency to wavelet cohesion.

Butyrate: Connecting the gut-lung axis to the management of pulmonary disorders.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolites released by bacterial components of the microbiota. These molecules have a wide range of effects in the microbiota itself, but also in host cells in which they are known for contributing to the regulation of cell metabolism, barrier function, and immunological responses. Recent studies indicate that these molecules are important players in the gut-lung axis and highlight the possibility of using strategies that alter their intestinal production to prevent or treat distinct lung inflammatory diseases.

Proteomics reveals antiviral host response and NETosis during acute COVID-19 in high-risk patients.

SARS-CoV-2 remains an acute threat to human health, endangering hospital capacities worldwide. Previous studies have aimed at informing pathophysiologic understanding and identification of disease indicators for risk assessment, monitoring, and therapeutic guidance. While findings start to emerge in the general population, observations in high-risk patients with complex pre-existing conditions are limited.

From ethene to propene (ETP) on tailored silica-alumina supports with isolated Ni(ii) sites: uncovering the importance of surface nickel aluminate sites and the carbon-pool mechanism.

Catalysts with well-defined isolated Ni(ii) surface sites have been prepared on three silica-based supports. The outer shells of the support were comprised either of an amorphous aluminosilicate or amorphous alumina (AlO ) layer - associated with a high and low density of strong Brønsted acid sites (BAS), respectively. When tested for ethene-to-propene conversion, Ni catalysts with a higher density of strong BAS demonstrate a higher initial activity and productivity to propene.

β-N-Methyl-Amino-L-Alanine cyanotoxin promotes modification of undifferentiated cells population and disrupts the inflammatory status in primary cultures of neural stem cells.

β-N-Methyl-Amino-L-Alanine (BMAA) produced by 95% of cyanobacteria is in constant augmentation with cyanobacteria worldwide proliferation due to global warming and eutrophication. Previously, it has been shown that this contaminant induced neurological disorders, notably by acting as a developmental toxin. However, very few studies focus on the impact of BMAA on neuroglial cells, like astrocytes and microglial cells, in a developmental context.

Implication of Nanoparticles to Combat Chronic Liver and Kidney Diseases: Progress and Perspectives.

Liver and kidney diseases are the most frequently encountered problems around the globe. Damage to the liver and kidney may occur as a result of exposure to various drugs, chemicals, toxins, and pathogens, leading to severe disease conditions such as cirrhosis, fibrosis, hepatitis, acute kidney injury, and liver and renal failure. In this regard, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) has emerged as a rapidly developing field of study in terms of safe delivery of various medications to target organs with minimal side effects.