The alterations of leukotriene C4 and prostaglandin E2 levels following different ischemic periods in rat brain tissue

Leukotrienes and prostaglandins are formed from arachidonic acid by activation of local phospholipases in pathological conditions such as cerebral ischemia, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral tumors and seizures. These mediators, especially leukotrienes have a very potent vasoconstrictor effect on cerebral arteries. Experimental studies have shown that this effect, by increasing vascular permeability causes vasogenic edema that contributes to the ischemic penumbra. In this study, after developing an experimental animal model simulating the concept of ischemic penumbra in the rat, the levels of leukotriene C and prostaglandin E2 produced in the forebrain were measured and the effects of these mediators in prolonged ischemia were investigated. The results, in the first 4 min of ischemia, showed that the arachidonic acid metabolites, particularly, leukotriene C4, reached a peak in the ischemic cerebral tissue in association with leukocyte accumulation. Later in the 15th min, significant decreases in leukotriene C4 and prostaglandin E2 levels were seen. In the 1st and 4th h, probably due to the stimulation of the relevant enzymes by free oxygen radicals in the ischemic tissue; the levels increase again, returning to control values by the 12th h. It is concluded that the use of lipoxygenase inhibitors and free radical scavengers may be helpful to limit the infarct area in the first 4 h of ischemia.     

Schiff Base Derivatives of 4-Aminoantipyrine as Promising Molecules: Synthesis,Structural Characterization,and Biological Activities

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - In this study, some Schiff bases derived from 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) (VI–X) were synthesized, characterized by elemental analysis (C, H, N) and...     

Crucial markers showing the risk of coronary artery disease in obesity: ADMA and neopterin

BackgroundObesity is responsible for high morbidity and mortality, both in developed and developing countries. It is associated with many chronic and metabolic diseases. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has been demonstrated to be a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in humans and increased ADMA associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been reported in many states. Neopterin (NP) produced by monocytes/macrophages in response to stimulation by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is emphasized in recent findings. The current study aims to investigate ADMA and NP levels which may assume a role in guiding the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease in obesity.MethodsThis is an original research study in which ADMA and NP levels of 50 patients (25 male/25 female) diagnosed with obesity were compared with those of 30 healthy individuals (15 male/15 female) as control. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used while determining parameters.ResultsADMA and NP levels in obese individuals were found to be significantly higher than in those enrolled in the control. ADMA values were found to be higher in obese subjects (0.71±0.24 μmol/L) as compared with levels found in healthy subjects (0.58±0.16 μmol/L) (p<0.05). A significant increase of serum neopterin levels was found in obese subjects (8.8±3.5 μmol/L) as compared with controls (4.9±1.69 μmol/L) (p<0.05). Also, there was a strong positive correlation between NP and ADMA values in obese individuals (r=0.954).ConclusionsOur study revealed that obese subjects have higher ADMA and neopterin levels. These results demonstrated that both ADMA and NP levels may be potential risk factors for coronary heart disease in obesity.     

PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy regulator genes in paranasal squamous cell carcinoma metastasis

Molecular Biology Reports - Although there are many studies on the role of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy genes in the mechanism of head and neck cancer formation and prognostic significance,...