Adv Exp Med Biol
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The Cannabis sativa plant has been used medicinally and recreationally for thousands of years, but recently only relatively some of its constituents have been identified. There are more than 550 chemical compounds in cannabis, with more than 100 phytocannabinoids being identified, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). ⋯ Cannabis and its constituents have been indicated as therapeutic compounds in numerous medical conditions, such as pain, anxiety, epilepsy, nausea and vomiting, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This chapter provides an overview of some of the biological effects of a number of the cannabinoids and terpenes, as well as discussing their known mechanisms of action and evidence of potential therapeutic effects.
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The loss of photoreceptor cells caused by retinal degenerative diseases leads to blindness. The optogenetic approach for restoring vision involves converting the surviving inner retinal neurons into photosensitive cells, thus imparting light sensitivity to the retina following the loss of photoreceptor cells. ⋯ In this chapter, we review our early proof-of-concept study of optogenetic vision restoration. We also discuss our studies for developing better ChR tools and for restoring intrinsic visual processing features in retinas with degenerated photoreceptors.
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The process of efferocytosis involves removal of dying or dead cells by phagocytosis. Another term "efferosome" is used which means a fluid-filled membrane vesicle which engulfs dead cells. The process of efferocytosis works in coordination with apoptosis because before the contents of apoptotic cells are bleached out, they are engulfed by efferosomes. ⋯ Since the key players in efferocytosis are macrophages and dendritic cells, development of antigen-dependent antitumor immunity is affected by efferocytosis. The literature analysis suggests that efferocytosis is an underappreciated immune checkpoint, perhaps one that might be therapeutically targeted in the setting of cancer. The current status of efferocytosis and its role in tumor microenvironment is discussed in this article.
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Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is a severe complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that doubles mortality due to severely compromised microvascular cerebral blood flow (mvCBF) and oxygen delivery reduction, as a result of hypotension. Volume expansion with resuscitation fluids (RF) for HS does not improve microvascular CBF (mvCBF); moreover, it aggravates brain edema. We showed that the addition of drag-reducing polymers (DRP) to crystalloid RF (lactated Ringer's) significantly improves mvCBF, oxygen supply, and neuronal survival in rats suffering TBI+HS. ⋯ HES (p < 0.05). Thus, resuscitation after TBI+HS using HES-DRP effectively restores mvCBF and reduces hypoxia, microthrombosis, and neuronal necrosis compared to HES. HES-DRP is more neuroprotective than lactated Ringer's with DRP and requires an infusion of a smaller volume, which reduces the development of hypervolemia-induced brain edema.
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide and has garnered increasing attention in recent decades. NAFLD is characterized by a wide range of liver changes, from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH is very complicated and involves lipid accumulation, insulin resistance, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. ⋯ In particular, the clinical spectrum, pathophysiology, and therapeutic options of NAFLD share many things in common with diabetes. Insulin resistance is an underlying basis for the pathogenesis of diabetes and NAFLD. This chapter focuses on the molecular mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, diabetes, and NASH/NAFLD including those that drive disease progression such as oxidative stress, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, adiponectin, cytokines, and immune cells.