ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammation and calcification are major factors responsible for degeneration of bioprosthetic valve and other substitute heart valve implantations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification effects of Entelon150® (consisting of grape-seed extract) in a beagle dog model of intravascular bovine pericardium implantation. METHODS: In total, 8 healthy male beagle dogs were implanted with a bovine pericardium bilaterally in the external jugular veins and divided into two groups. Animals in the Entelon150® group (n = 4) were treated with 150 mg of Entelon150® twice daily for six weeks after surgery. The negative control (NC) group (n = 4) was treated with 5 ml of saline using the same method. After six weeks, we measured the calcium content, performed histological examination, and performed molecular analysis. RESULTS: The calcium content of implanted tissue in the Entelon150® group (0.56±0.14 mg/g) was significantly lower than that in the NC group (1.48±0.57 mg/g) (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination showed that infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, occurred around the graft in all groups; however, the inflammation level of the implanted tissue in the Entelon150® group was s lower than that in the NC group. Both immunohistochemical and western blot analyses revealed that bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression was significantly attenuated in the Entelon150® group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that Entelon150® significantly attenuates post-implantation inflammation and degenerative calcification of the bovine pericardium in dogs. Therefore, Entelon150® may increase the longevity of the bovine pericardium after intravascular implantation.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Calcinosis/drug therapy , Grape Seed Extract/therapeutic use , Postoperative Complications/drug therapy , Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/methods , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Bioprosthesis , Calcinosis/etiology , Cattle , Dogs , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Grape Seed Extract/administration & dosage , Grape Seed Extract/pharmacology , Heart Valve Prosthesis , Macrophages/drug effects , Male , Pericardium/transplantation , Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/adverse effectsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A new shampoo with anti-Malassezia properties obtained from various plants is required to provide seborrheic dermatitis patients with a wider range of treatment options. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to obtain in vitro susceptibility profiles of Malassezia restricta and M. globosa, the most important pathogenic organisms in the development of seborrheic dermatitis, to the plant extracts used in commercial anti-dandruff shampoos. METHODS: Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for eight candidate plant extracts and two plant-derived natural products diluted with Leeming and Notman medium to final concentrations of 0.016 to 1 mg/ml. RESULTS: Castanea crenata shell, Camellia sinensis leaf, and oil-soluble Glycyrrhiza extracts presented relatively low MIC values (≤0.5 mg/ml) against both strains. The C. crenata shell and oil-soluble Glycyrrhiza extracts demonstrated especially high anti-Malassezia activity, suggesting their potential use in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. The extracts also showed fungistatic activity against other common facultative pathogenic yeasts, Cryptococcus and Candida. CONCLUSION: C. crenata shell and oil-soluble Glycyrrhiza extracts could potentially be used as active ingredients in anti-seborrheic and anti-dandruff shampoo formulations. They could be helpful for repeated treatments and regular prophylaxis of scalp seborrheic dermatitis.
Subject(s)
Adamantane/analogs & derivatives , Benzamides/pharmacology , Melanocytes/drug effects , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Skin Lightening Preparations/pharmacology , Adamantane/pharmacology , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Humans , Keratinocytes/drug effects , Keratinocytes/metabolism , Matrix Metalloproteinases/metabolism , Melanins/antagonists & inhibitors , Melanins/biosynthesis , Melanocytes/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Skin Aging/drug effectsABSTRACT
Most cosmetic and therapeutic applications of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) are related to muscle paralysis caused by the blocking of neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction. BoNT specifically cleaves SNARE proteins at the nerve terminal and impairs neuroexocytosis. Recently, we have shown that several polyphenols inhibit neurotransmitter release from neuronal PC12 cells by interfering with SNARE complex formation. Based on our previous result, we report here that myricetin, delphinidin, and cyanidin indeed paralyze muscle by inhibiting acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. While the effect of myricetin on muscle paralysis was modest compared to BoNT/A, myricetin exhibited a shorter response time than BoNT/A. Intraperitoneally-injected myricetin at an extreme dose of 1000 mg/kg did not induce death of mice, alleviating the safety issue. Thus, these polyphenols might be useful in treating various human hypersecretion diseases for which BoNT/A has been the only option of choice.