Molecular Biology Reports - Gastric cancer is one of the common types of cancer around the world which has few therapeutic options. Nitrogen heterocyclic derivatives such as thiazoles are used as... 相似文献
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known as the most common form of malignancies in the world and its occurrence is annually increasing. Due to the relatively high death rates in patients, finding better diagnostic and prognostic factors are required. Substance P (SP) belongs to the tachykinin family that acts as an immunomodulator by binding to the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R). The interaction of SP with NK1R might be involved in tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate the serum SP level and tissue distribution of NK1Rs in CRC. Also, we assessed the relationship between tissue distribution of NK1R and some different tumor characteristics, including tumor size, and lymph node status. Recruiting 38 patients primarily diagnosed with CRC, the tissue distribution of NK1R was immunohistochemically evaluated in tumor tissues and their adjacent normal tissue. The serum level of SP was measured using an ELISA method in both cases and healthy control group. The SP value was significantly increased in the serum of patients in comparison with the healthy group (p?=?0.001). Tumor tissues expressed a higher number of NK1R than adjacent normal tissues (p?=?0.01) considering both the percentage of stained cells and intensity of staining. However, there was not any statistically significant relevance between NK1R distribution and tumor characteristics. The SP/NK1R system is involved in tumorigenesis of CRC, and might be suggested as a potent prognostic or diagnostic factor, or a new target in the treatment of CRC.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum and C. cassia) is a medicinal plant, widely-used as a culinary spice. It possesses various therapeutic effects and can slow down the progression of neurological disorders impressively. In this article, the effects of hydro-alcohol extract and essential oil of C. verum and C. cassia and its main bioactive component cinnamaldehyde, has been examined on 6-OHDA-exposed PC12 cells as an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease. The cytotoxicity and cell apoptosis has been induced by 6-OHDA in PC12 cells. The protective effect was determined by measuring cell viability, the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using resazurin assay, flow cytometry of propidium iodide (PI) stained cells, and western blot analysis. 6-OHDA resulted in the death and apoptosis of cells while, pretreatment with the extract and essential oil of C. verum and C. cassia at 20 µg/ml and cinnamaldehyde at 5 and 10 µM for 24 h could significantly increase the viability (p?<?0.001), and decrease ROS content (p?<?0.05). Pretreatment with the extracts increased survivin and decreased cyt-c whereas, pretreatment with the essential oil decreased cyt-c, increased survivin, and reduced P-p44/42/p44/42 levels to a level near that of the related control. The extract and essential oil of C. verum and C. cassia can be effective against 6-OHDA cytotoxicity. It is suggested that, the synergistic effects of cinnamaldehyde and other components of extract and essential oil promote cinnamon’s medicinal properties.
Mycopathologia - Fungi of the genus Fusarium are well known as major plant pathogens but also cause a broad spectrum of human infections. Sixty-three clinical isolates, collected during... 相似文献
Mimicking the structure of extracellular matrix (ECM) of myocardium is necessary for fabrication of functional cardiac tissue. The superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs, Fe3O4), as new generation of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs), are highly intended in biomedical studies. Here, SPION NPs (1 wt%) were synthesized and incorporated into silk-fibroin (SF) electrospun nanofibers to enhance mechanical properties and topography of the scaffolds. Then, the mouse embryonic cardiac cells (ECCs) were seeded on the scaffolds for in vitro studies. The SPION NPs were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). SF nanofibers were characterized after incorporation of SPIONs by SEM, TEM, water contact angle measurement, and tensile test. Furthermore, cytocompatibility of scaffolds was confirmed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. SEM images showed that ECCs attached to the scaffolds with elongated morphologies. Also, the real-time PCR and immunostaining studies approved upregulation of cardiac functional genes in ECCs seeded on the SF/SPION-casein scaffolds including GATA-4, cardiac troponin T, Nkx 2.5, and alpha-myosin heavy chain, compared with the ones in SF. In conclusion, incorporation of core-shells in SF supports cardiac differentiation, while has no negative impact on ECCs' proliferation and self-renewal capacity. 相似文献
Venous and arterial thrombosis are conditions that have a considerable burden if left untreated. The hypoxia-induced by the occluded vessel can disrupt the circulation of any organ, the cornerstone of treating thrombosis is rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Diagnosis of thrombosis may be made by using laboratory tests or imaging techniques in individuals who have clinical manifestations of a thrombotic event. The use of serum micro ribonucleic acids (RNAs) has recently been applied to the diagnosis of thrombosis. These small RNA molecules are emerging as new diagnostic markers but have had very limited applications in vascular disease. Most of the articles provided various microRNAs with different levels of accuracy. However, there remains a lack of an appropriate panel of the most specific microRNA in the literature. The purpose of the present review was to summarize the existing data on the use of microRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for venous thrombosis. 相似文献
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is deemed to be one of the main molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It has been identified that EGFR involves in pathogenesis of some forms of human cancers. Monoclonal antibodies targeting EGFR could control the tumor cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis by suppressing the signal transduction pathways. Nanobodies can be regarded as the smallest intact antigen binding fragments, derived from heavy chain-only antibodies existing in camelids. Here, we describe the identification of an EGFR-specific nanobody, referred to as OA-cb6, obtained from immunized camel with a cell line expressing high levels of EGFR. Utilizing flow cytometry (FACS) and blotting methods, we demonstrated that OA-cb6 nanobody binds specifically to EGFR expressing on the surface of A431 cells. In addition, OA-cb6 nanobody potently causes the inhibition of EGFR over expression, cell growth and proliferation. The antibody fragments can probably be regarded as worthwhile binding block for further rational design of anti-cancer therapy. 相似文献
Knowledge of natural ecology is essential for a better understanding of pathogenicity and opportunism in black yeast-like fungi. Although etiological agents of diseases caused by these fungi are supposed to originate from the environment, their isolation from nature is difficult. This is probably due to their oligotrophic nature, low competitive ability, and, overall, insufficient data on their natural habitat. We obtained environmental samples from mangrove areas where mortalities by lethargic crab disease (LCD) are reported and areas without disease recorded. Isolation of chaetothyrialean black yeasts and relatives was performed using a highly selective protocol. Species-specific primers were used to determine if these isolates represented Exophiala cancerae or Fonsecaea brasiliensis, two proven agents of LCD, in order to test hypotheses about the origin of the disease. Isolates, identified by morphology as Fonsecaea- or Exophiala-like, were tested specific diagnostic markers for the fungi associated with LCD. Although several black fungi were isolated, the main causative agent of the LCD, E. cancerae, was not found. Molecular markers for F. brasiliensis revealed 10 positive bands for isolates from biofilms on mangrove leaves, branches, and aerial roots, of which four were confirmed by ITS sequencing. The absence of E. cancerae in environmental samples suggests that the species is dependent on the crab, as a genuine pathogen, different from F. brasiliensis, which is probably not dependent on the host species, U. cordatus. However, we did not attempt isolation from the marine water, which may represent the pathway of dispersion of the black yeast species between neighbor mangroves. 相似文献
Interestingly pharmaceutical sciences are using nanoparticles (NPs) to design and develop nanomaterials-based drugs. However, up to recently, it has not been well realized that NPs themselves may impose risks to the biological systems. In this study, the interaction of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with tau protein and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line, as potential nervous system models, was examined with a range of techniques including intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) dual staining method. Fluorescence study showed that AgNPs with a diameter of around 10–20 nm spontaneously form a static complex with tau protein via hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions. CD experiment revealed that AgNPs did not change the random coil structure of tau protein. Moreover, AgNPs showed to induce SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell mortality through fragmentation of DNA which is a key feature of apoptosis. In conclusion, AgNPs may induce slight changes on the tau protein structure. Also, the concentration of AgNPs is the main factor which influences their cytotoxicity. Since, all adverse effects of NPs are not well detected, so probably additional more specific testing would be needed. 相似文献