Oxidative stress has been identified as the root cause of the development and progression of several diseases. Supplementation of exogenous antioxidants or boosting endogenous antioxidant defenses of ...the body is a promising way of combating the undesirable effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced oxidative damage. Plants have an innate ability to biosynthesize a wide range of non-enzymatic antioxidants capable of attenuating ROS- induced oxidative damage. Several in vitro methods have been used to screen plants for their antioxidant potential, and in most of these assays they revealed potent antioxidant activity. However, prior to confirming their in vivo therapeutic efficacy, plant antioxidants have to pass through several physiopharmacological processes. Consequently, the findings of in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential assessment studies are not always the same. Nevertheless, the results of in vitro assays have been irrelevantly extrapolated to the therapeutic application of plant antioxidants without undertaking sufficient in vivo studies. Therefore, we have briefly reviewed the physiology and redox biology of both plants and humans to improve our understanding of plant antioxidants as therapeutic entities. The applications and limitations of antioxidant activity measurement assays were also highlighted to identify the precise path to be followed for future research in the area of plant antioxidants.
Antiosteoporotic medications are often used to concurrently treat a patient’s fragility fractures and underlying osteoporosis. This review evaluates the existing literature from animal and clinical ...models to determine these drugs’ effects on fracture healing. The data suggest that these medications may enhance bone healing, yet more thorough prospective studies are warranted. Pharmacologic agents that influence bone remodeling are an essential component of osteoporosis management. Because many patients are first diagnosed with osteoporosis when presenting with a fragility fracture, it is critical to understand how osteoporotic medications influence fracture healing. Vitamin D and its analogs are essential for the mineralization of the callus and may also play a role in callus formation and remodeling that enhances biomechanical strength. In animal models, antiresorptive medications, including bisphosphonates, denosumab, calcitonin, estrogen, and raloxifene, do not impede endochondral fracture healing but may delay repair due to impaired remodeling. Although bisphosphonates and denosumab delay callus remodeling, they increase callus volume and result in unaltered biomechanical properties. Calcitonin increases cartilage formation and callus maturation, resulting in improved biomechanical properties. Parathyroid hormone, an anabolic agent, has demonstrated promise in animal models, resulting in accelerated healing with increased callus volume and density, more rapid remodeling to mature bone, and improved biomechanical properties. Clinical data with parathyroid hormone have demonstrated enhanced healing in distal radius and pelvic fractures as well as postoperatively following spine surgery. Strontium ranelate, which may have both antiresorptive and anabolic properties, affects fracture healing differently in normal and osteoporotic bone. While there is no effect in normal bone, in osteoporotic bone, strontium ranelate increases callus bone formation, maturity, and mineralization; forms greater and denser trabeculae; and improves biomechanical properties. Further clinical studies with these medications are needed to fully understand their effects on fracture healing in order to simultaneously treat fragility fractures and underlying osteoporosis.
The world is currently experiencing an obesity epidemic as declared by the World Health Organization. The traditional view is that behaviour leading to overeating and under-activity is the major ...contributing factor for this worldwide epidemic. However, several microbes are linked to obesity in animals and humans. On the one hand, various microbes, including animal and human viruses, bacteria, parasites and scrapie agents, increase adiposity in several animal models. Some of these microbes show an association with human obesity, but conclusive evidence for a causative role of microbes in human obesity is lacking. On the other hand, obese individuals show an altered response to infections. Obesity is often associated with impaired immune function, which may lead to increased susceptibility to infection with a number of different pathogens. Hence, certain microbes appear to induce obesity, whereas, obesity itself may exacerbate certain other infections. Linking the two phenomenon is the immunological property of adipocytes and their progenitors. For instance, proliferating pre-adipocytes share embryonic origin with immune cells and exhibit phagocytic activity. Taken together it appears that there is a close interrelationship between adipose tissue, inflammatory response, immune system and infections. Hence, it is conceivable that in response to certain infections, adipose tissue expands similar to the expansion of cells of the immune system. The impaired immune function of adipose tissue in obesity may exacerbate infections. Considering the global obesity epidemic, it is necessary to further investigate both phenomena.
The tender shoots of
Lam. are used ethnomedically by the traditional healers of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka (India) for the treatment of wounds. The current study was aimed at exploring ...phenol-enriched fraction (PEF) of crude ethanol extract of tender shoots to isolate and characterize the most active bio-constituent through bioassay-guided fractionation procedure. The successive fractionation and sub-fractionation of PEF, followed by
scratch wound, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, yielded a highly active natural antioxidant compound ethyl gallate (EG).
wound healing potentiality of EG was evidenced by a significantly higher percentage of cell migration in L929 fibroblast cells (97.98 ± 0.46% at 3.81 μg/ml concentration) compared to a positive control group (98.44 ± 0.36%) at the 48th hour of incubation. A significantly higher rate of wound contraction (98.72 ± 0.41%), an elevated tensile strength of the incised wound (1,154.60 ± 1.42 g/mm
), and increased quantity of connective tissue elements were observed in the granulation tissues of the 1% EG ointment treated animal group on the 15th post-wounding day. The accelerated wound healing activity of 1% EG was also exhibited by histopathological examinations through Hematoxylin and Eosin, Masson's trichome, and Toluidine blue-stained sections. Significant up-regulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant contents (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and down-regulation of oxidative stress marker (lipid peroxidation) clearly indicates the effective granular antioxidant activity of 1% EG in preventing oxidative damage to the skin tissues. Further,
antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of EG supports the positive correlation with its enhanced wound-healing activity. Moreover, molecular docking and dynamics for 100 ns revealed the stable binding of EG with cyclooxygenase-2 (-6.2 kcal/mol) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (-4.6 kcal/mol) and unstable binding with tumor necrosis factor-α (-7.2 kcal/mol), suggesting the potential applicability of EG in inflammation and wound treatment.
A new species of Taeniogonalos Schulz, namely, Taeniogonalos dhritiae Girish Kumar & Hegde sp. nov., is described from the Western Ghats, India. A revised key to Indian species is provided.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly metastatic, and there is an urgent unmet need to develop novel therapeutic strategies leading to the new drug discoveries against metastasis. The ...transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is known to promote the invasive and migratory potential of breast cancer cells through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway, leading to breast cancer metastasis. Targeting this pathway to revert the EMT would be an attractive, novel therapeutic strategy to halt breast cancer metastasis.
Effects of enterolactone (EL) on the cell cycle and apoptosis were investigated using flow cytometry and a cleaved caspase-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Effects of TGF-β induction and EL treatment on the functional malignancy of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were investigated using migration and chemo-invasion assays. The effects of EL on EMT markers and the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway after TGF-β induction were studied using confocal microscopy, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and flow cytometry.
Herein, we report that EL exhibits a significant antimetastatic effect on MDA-MB-231 cells by almost reverting the TGF-β-induced EMT
. EL downregulates the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin, and upregulates the epithelial markers E-cadherin and occludin. It represses actin stress fiber formation via inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase p-38 (MAPK-p38) and cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44). EL also suppresses ERK-1/2, NF-κB, and Snail at the mRNA and protein levels.
Briefly, EL was found to inhibit TGF-β-induced EMT by blocking the ERK/NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway, which is a promising target for breast cancer metastasis therapy.
Abstract
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are subject to changes in their direction of propagation, tilt, and other properties. This is because CMEs interact with the ambient solar wind and other ...large-scale magnetic field structures. In this work, we report on the observations of the 2012 October 5 stealth CME using coronagraphic and heliospheric images. We find clear evidence of a continuous rotation of the CME, i.e., an increase in the tilt angle, estimated using the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) reconstruction at different heliocentric distances, up to 58
R
⊙
. We find a further increase in the tilt at L1 estimated from the toroidal and cylindrical flux rope fitting on the in situ observations of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind parameters. This study highlights the importance of observations of Heliospheric Imager (HI), on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. In particular, the GCS reconstruction of CMEs in the HI field of view promises to bridge the gap between the near-Sun and in situ observations at the L1. The changes in the CME tilt have significant implications for the space weather impact of stealth CMEs.
People living with HIV (PLWHIV) have increased oral healthcare needs due to an increase in the prevalence of oral and dental diseases. Their oral health is influenced by psychosocial, behavioral and ...biologic factors. The aim of this study was to explore and obtain a deeper understanding of the oral health beliefs and behaviors of PLWHIV that could potentially affect their oral health.
We have used the Health Belief Model (HBM) and qualitative methods using in-depth interviews with 16 PLWHIV. Content analysis of the transcribed data was done. The data was grouped under the constructs of the HBM.
The perceived susceptibility to oral diseases and awareness on the importance of good oral health was low. Regular tooth brushing and traditional methods for oral hygiene maintenance were considered beneficial. Regular dental visits were not considered important. Psychosocial issues, time and financial constraints were the barriers. Participants believed that information on oral health should be provided by the health providers in hospitals and dental clinics. CONCLUSION: The findings on the oral health beliefs and behaviors support the need for education on oral health and preventive healthcare practices among PLWHIV. Oral health promotion should include behavioral change as one of its components.
To evaluate the annual sediment dispersal pattern, a year-long beach profile monitoring and granulometric analysis were adopted along the Kundapura estuarine beaches of coastal Karnataka. The river ...mouth is bounded by breakwaters and the coast is armoured by seawalls and groins. Beaches adjacent to the breakwater showed progradation as a result of the shadow zone created due to the sheltering effect from incident waves. Evidence also comes from the replacement of coarser mode sediments by finer. Those away from the shadow zone, however, experienced extensive erosion. They are subjected to along-shore drift and minimal replacement from the same. It was also observed that despite being tropical estuarine beaches, sediments did not show any affinity towards a fluvial-derived character. These points towards transport of fine sediments further offshore and retention of coarser fraction in the surf zone that is to be carried shoreward. Breakwaters in turn facilitate this by channelising the river discharge farther in the sea. Evidence towards the same is also provided by the well-sorted to moderately well-sorted nature of the sediments. Breakwaters were thus observed to highly influence the sediment dispersion and distribution along an estuarine coast. This study will provide knowledge on the role of coastal structures in sediment dispersion while framing future coastal protection strategies for the conservation of the coast.
Research highlights
Progradation of beaches adjacent to the breakwaters due to sheltering from direct waves whereas erosion of beaches away from the influence of these structures is observed.
Extensive engineered coast has resulted in the narrowing of the natural beach width making it reflective with a high-energy environment thus accelerating further erosion. Due to this, the beach has lost its recreational value.
The along-shore drift directions derived considering beach morphology, beach volume change and beach sedimentology, along with the mode of transport and environmental affinity of sediments provide a comprehensive understanding of sediment dispersal pattern along the coast.
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