Int J Med Sci
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Although numerous studies highlight the health benefits of tea, excessive consumption has been linked to toxic conditions. Thus, understanding the optimal consumption of tea is essential to minimize toxicity while maximizing its benefits. In this study, we investigated the effects of eight green tea samples (G1-G8) and eight black tea samples (R1-R8) from Camellia sinensis, the most popular teas in Asian culture, on RSC96 Schwann neural cells and embryonic cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells. ⋯ DSS treatment in the control group led to shortened colorectal lengths in mice, while tea co-treatment partially prevented this loss. Histological analysis revealed that G7 and R3 (with a moderate polyphenol content) treatment improved colorectal crypt structure, decreased the severity of inflammatory ulcerative colitis, and significantly reduced histological scores compared to the control group. However, G3 and R8 (with high and low doses of polyphenol content, respectively) did not show these effects, suggesting that a moderate polyphenol level in both tea types is optimal for preventative benefits.
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Background: Mitragyna speciosa Korth or Kratom is widely used traditionally for its medicinal values. The major alkaloid content of kratom leaves is mitragynine, which binds to opioid receptors to give opioid-like effects. This study aimed to analyse the brain proteome of animals that displayed addictive behaviors. ⋯ Results: The rats developed physical dependence only on day 4 following morphine and mitragynine (1 and 30mg/kg) treatments. Among the proteins that were up-regulated in treatment groups were four calcium-binding proteins, namely calretinin, F-actin, annexin A3 and beta-centractin. Conclusions: Upregulation of calretinin acted as low Ca2+ buffering upon the blockage of Ca2+ ion channel by mitragynine in the brain, which subsequently caused a reduction of GABA released and inversely increased the dopamine secretions that contributed to dependence indicators.
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Purpose: Melanoma is a highly malignant tumor, which metastasizes and has poor prognosis in late-stage cancer patients. α-Mangostin possesses pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-infective, and anticarcinogenic activities. We investigated α-Mangostin effect on melanoma growth, migration, and invasion and its possible molecular mechanism. Methods: Melanoma cells growth inhibition was determined by the colorimetric 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction assay. ⋯ Mechanistically, α-Mangostin down-regulated expression of RAS protein and mRNA, as well as phosphorylation of PI3K in A375, B16F10, M14 and SK-MEL-2 cells. MITF protein and mRNA were inhibited only in M14 cells. Conclusion: α-Mangostin suppresses melanoma cells growth, migration and invasion, and synergistically enhances the anti-tumor effect of chemotherapy, whose mechanism may be mediated through inhibiting Ras, PI3K and MITF.
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Diabetic wound is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes, which is characterized by abnormal number and quality of wound repair related cells. Previous studies have shown that human endothelial progenitor cells derived exosomes (EPCs-EXO) can promote diabetic wound healing through modulating vascular endothelial cell function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological effects and molecular mechanisms of EPCs-EXO on diabetic wound healing. ⋯ Skin wound healing was significantly enhanced by EPCs-EXO in diabetic mice. Moreover, bioinformatics analyses and luciferase reporter assay indicated that exosomal miR-182-5p was bound to PPARG 3' UTR sequence and inhibited the expression of PPARG. Collectively, our findings provided a new role of EPCs-EXO in the clinical treatment of diabetic skin wounds.
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Background: Urethral stricture is a common disorder of the lower urinary tract in men. A complex network of pathways and interactions are involved in the pathogenesis of urethral fibrosis. However, the mechanisms underlying urethral fibrosis remain poorly understood. ⋯ DKK1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, collagen content, cell migration and promoted cell apoptosis in TGFβ1-induced HUFs. DKK1 significantly suppressed myofibroblast differentiation of TGFβ1-induced HUFs by downregulating collagen I, collagen III, α-SMA, β-catenin and p-GSK-3β with a mechanism independent of Smad2/3. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that canonical Wnt pathway may be an essential mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of urethral fibrosis and explored the potential role of DKK1 participation in the development of urethral fibrosis.