Int J Med Sci
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Wound-healing is a dynamic skin reparative process that results in a sequence of events, including inflammation, proliferation, and migration of different cell types as fibroblasts. Fibroblasts play a crucial role in repairing processes, from the late inflammatory phase until the fully final epithelization of the injured tissue. Within this context, identifying tools able to implement cell proliferation and migration could improve tissue regeneration. ⋯ We then evaluated the cytotoxicity of the compounds and the proliferative capabilities of fibroblasts by scratch assay. Our results showed that waste extracts retain antioxidant and regenerative properties, inducing tissue re-establishment after environmental stress exposure. Taken together, our findings suggest that waste material could be used in the future also in combinations to stimulate wound healing processes and antioxidant responses in damaged skin.
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Observational Study
Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length coupled with lower expression of Telomerase Genes in patients with Essential Hypertension.
Background: The essential hypertension (EH) pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Many studies indicate that reduced leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is involved in the EH pathogenesis, however, the direct analysis of arterial telomere length (ATL) from EH patients and normotensive individuals did not show a difference. To address these discrepant observations between LTL and ATL, we performed comprehensive analyses of LTL, telomerase gene expression and their genetic variants in healthy normotensive controls and EH patients. ⋯ However, there were no differences in the genetic variants of rs2736100 and rs12696304 between patient and control groups. Conclusions: EH patients have significantly shorter LTL, which may result from defective TERT and TERC expression in leukocytes. Collectively, lower telomerase expression contributes to shorter LTL observed in EH patients, and telomerase activators may be considered for EH therapy.
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Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome (DS), is the most common chromosome abnormality and causes intellectual disability. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5), whose differential expression has recently been reported in patients with Klinefelter syndrome, has been addressed to play a role in the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, vascular endothelial cells apoptosis and atherosclerosis, all being common features in patients with DS. ⋯ A significant lncRNA GAS5 down-regulation was observed in patients with DS by RT-PCR analysis, The RNA sequencing experiments confirmed the qRT-PCR data. LncRNA GAS5 down-expression may play a role in the development of some typical features of the patients with DS and, particularly, in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
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Background: The association between metformin and amiodarone-induced adverse events was examined using spontaneous adverse event database. Additionally, the association between other antidiabetic drugs and amiodarone-induced adverse events were also examined. Methods: A total of 6,153,696 reports from the first quarter of 2004 through the fourth quarter of 2015 were downloaded from the US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system. ⋯ Additionally, metformin (ROR 0.43, 95%CI 0.33-0.57; IC -1.09, 95%CI -1.49 to -0.69), sulfonylureas (ROR 0.64, 95%CI 0.48-0.86; IC -0.59, 95%CI -1.00 to -0.17), and DPP-4 inhibitors (ROR 0.47, 95%CI 0.27-0.81; IC -0.99, 95%CI -1.76 to -0.22) were inversely associated with interstitial lung disease. In the logistic regression analyses, DPP-4 inhibitors (adjusted ROR 0.32, 95% CI 0.10-1.00) and metformin (adjusted ROR 0.46, 95% CI 0.34-0.62) were inversely associated with amiodarone-associated hyperthyroidism and interstitial lung disease, respectively. Conclusion: Metformin is a candidate drug to reduce the risk of amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism and interstitial lung disease.
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Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from various Chinese herbs that has potential of anti-inflammatory, anti-lipidemic, anti-neoplastic, and anti-diabetic activity. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory efficacy of berberine on allergic airway inflammation by targeting epithelial cells. Allergic airway inflammation driven by T helper 2 (Th2)-type immunity is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, elevated IgE production, and eosinophilic infiltration. ⋯ NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways were seemingly unaffected in BEAS-2B cells with berberine treatment. Significant reduction of nuclear STAT6 protein expression in activated BEAS-2B cells with berberine treatment was observed. Current study reveals that berberine has inhibitory effect in pro-inflammatory cytokine-activated BEAS-2B cells through reducing IL-6 and CCL11 production, which is possibly modulated by suppressing STAT6 signaling pathway.