New cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes bearing substituted 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)quinoline: Synthesis, characterization, electrochemical and anticancer studies.

New iridium(III) compounds (C1-C3) bearing 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)quinoline ligands with different side groups (benzyl, 2,3,4,5,6-pentamethylbenzyl and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) were synthesized and characterized by using spectroscopic analyses. The effects of different side groups of iridium compounds on the photophysical and electrochemical properties have been investigated. The cytotoxicity and apoptosis of the compounds have been evaluated on breast cancer cell lines using various methods including MTT assay, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and colony formation. The cytotoxicity of C1, expressed as IC50 values, was found to be 11.76 µM for MDA-MB-231 and 5.35 µM for MCF-7 cells. For C3, the IC50 value was 16.22 µM for MDA-MB-231 and 8.85 µM for MCF-7 cells. In both cell lines, increased levels of Bax and caspase 3, along with downregulation of BCL-2 and positive annexin V staining, were observed, confirming apoptosis. Moreover, the colony-forming abilities in both cell lines decreased after C1 and C3 complex treatment. All these results suggest that the compounds C1 and C3 may have potential in the treatment of breast cancer, though further research is needed to confirm their efficacy.

Two new compounds from endemic Centaurea paphlagonica (Bornm.) Wagenitz and their cytotoxic activities.

Centaurea paphlagonica (Bornm.) Wagenitz is an endemic plant in Turkey. Pyrocatechol, vanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, tamarixetin, chlorogenic acid methyl ester, quercetin, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, tamarixetin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, quercimetrin, daucosterin, paphlagonicanin B, tamarixetin-7-O-ß-rutinoside, rutin, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin, 3-O-feruloylquinic acid, quercetagetin-3-methyl ether 6-O-ß-glucopyranoside, diosmetin 6-C-ß-glucopyranoside, quercetagetin 4'-methyl ether 7-O-ß-glucopyranoside, paphlagonicanin A, nepetin, cirsiliol, desacylcynaropicrin, and 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin were isolated from both flower and aerial parts of C. paphlagonica. These compounds were identified using 1D and 2D NMR methods and ESI-MS. The MTT assay assessed the antiproliferative activities of all isolated (known and new compounds) compounds on Caco-2, LNCaP, A549, HeLa, and HEK-293 cell lines. The 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin demonstrated the highest activity against CaCo-2 and HeLa cancer cell lines.

Evaluation of the effect of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) in wound healing and growth factor release in rats: a split-mouth study.

This experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) on mucosal healing and the release of growth factors in rats. 40 rats were used; i-PRF was administered in the right buccal area while saline was injected in the left. Cytokeratin, FGF, PDGF, TGF, and VEGF expressions were determined with immunohistochemistry. Gene expressions of EGF, TGF-ß, and VEGF were analysed. Epithelialization started on the 3rd day, and connective tissue maturation was more prominent in the i-PRF-applied group. Also, the releases of VEGF, EGF, TGF-ß, PDGF, and FGF were higher in the i-PRF group during the 14 days. Gene expression analysis showed that changes in TGF-ß at 14 days after i-PRF injection and VEGF after 21 days were statistically significant. The results of this study suggested that autologous i-PRF application enhanced the healing of oral mucosal wounds by increasing the release of growth factors for 21 days.

Evaluating Antibiofilm, Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Activities of Scutellaria brevibracteata subsp. brevibracteata Essential Oil.

Essential oils have many important biological properties, including antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. These unique properties make, essential oils good alternatives to synthetic chemical drugs, which have many side effects. In this study, we aimed to determine the chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil obtained from Scutellaria brevibracteata subsp. brevibracteata. Specifically, its antibiofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 biofilms using XTT assay. Cytotoxic and apoptotic properties of the essential oil were investigated in human lung cancer cells (A540 and H1299) using MTT assay, Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining and q-PCR. Thirty-two different compounds were identified from the essential oil, of which elemol (20.42 %), γ-eudesmol (20.12 %) and ß-eudesmol (14.85 %) were the main components. The essential oil was more effective against P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm (79 %) than S. aureus ATCC 29213 biofilm (27 %). The specific activity of the essential oil against P. aeruginosa biofilm may be related to its high terpene contents. In addition, the essential oil showed high cytotoxic activity towards A549 (IC50 9.09 µg/ml) and H1299 (IC50 55.04 µg/ml) cell lines, inducing apoptosis in these cancer cells. These results demonstrate the antibiofilm and anticancer activities of S. brevibracteata subsp. brevibracteata essential oil.

The renoprotective effects of taurine against diabetic nephropathy via the p38 MAPK and TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signaling pathways.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a severe diabetes complication, causes kidney morphological and structural changes due to extracellular matrix accumulation. This accumulation is caused mainly by oxidative stress. Semi-essential amino acid derivative taurine has powerful antioxidant and antifibrotic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the renoprotective effects of taurine through its possible roles in oxidative stress, extracellular matrix proteins, and the signaling pathways associated with the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in DN rats. 29 Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into control, taurine, diabetes, and diabetes + taurine groups. Diabetes animals were injected 45 mg/kg streptozosine. Taurine is given by adding to drinking water as 1% (w/v). Urine, serum, and kidney tissue were collected from rats for biochemical and histological analysis after 12 weeks. According to the studies, taurine significantly reduces the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and protein expression of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) that increase in diabetic kidney tissue. Also, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity levels significantly increased with taurine in diabetic rats. Moreover, increased mRNA and protein levels of fibronectin decreased with taurine. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activities and their mRNA levels increased significantly, and this increase was significantly summed with taurine. There was a decrease in mRNA expression of Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN). Taurine significantly increased this decrease. Diabetes increased mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß and Smad2/3. Taurine significantly reduced this induction. TGF-ß protein expression, p38, and Smad2/3 activations were also inhibited, but taurine was suppressed significantly. All these findings indicate that taurine may be an effective practical strategy to prevent renal diabetic injury.

Role of p38 MAPK, Akt and NFκB in renoprotective effects of nebivolol on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury is a complex pathophysiologic condition characterized by oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. We investigated the potential renoprotective effect of nebivolol, a ß1 adrenergic receptor blocker, against renal I-R injury. We focused on the role of nebivolol in activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, Akt (protein kinase B) and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) transcription factors, which contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis during renal I-R. We divided 20 adult male Wistar albino rats into three experimental groups. Group 1 was a sham control in which only laparotomy was performed. Group 2 was the I-R group in which both kidneys were made ischemic for 45 min, then reperfused for 24 h. Group 3 was the I-R + nebivolol group in which 10 mg/kg nebivolol was administrated by gavage for 7 days before I-R. We measured Inflammation, oxidative stress and active caspase-3 as well as activation of p38 MAPK, Akt (protein kinase B) and NFκB transcription factor. Nebivolol significantly reduced oxidative stress and increased superoxide dismutase levels during renal I-R. We found that nebivolol significantly decreased interstitial inflammation, and TNF-α and interleukin-1ß mRNA expression. Nebivolol significantly reduced active caspase-3 and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) expressions. Nebivolol also significantly decreased activation of p38 MAPK signaling and NFκB, and induced Akt activation during renal I-R. Our findings suggest that nebivolol may be useful for management of renal I-R injury.

Antioxidant, AChE inhibitory, and anticancer effects of Verbascum thapsus extract.

Verbascum thapsus (VT) is a medicinal plant that is used in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments. For this study, the biological functions of VT methanol extract were determined in vitro. The plant's methanol extract was created through the maceration process. The phytochemical composition of plant extracts was investigated using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The antioxidant capacity of the extract was determined using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil) and ABTS (2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) tests and its cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT ((3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, a tetrazole)) assay on the Caco-2 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells), LNCaP (Lymph Node Carcinoma of the Prostate), and HEK293 cell lines (Human embryonic kidney 293 cells) used to model colon, prostate, and non-cancerous cells. VT extract showed low DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities compared to standard antioxidants at 30 mg/ml concentration. In addition, it was determined that VT extract inhibited acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

New cytotoxic chalcone derivatives from Astragalus ponticus Pall.

Astragalus ponticus Pall. species was investigated for its antiproliferative effects on HeLa cells. Two new chalcones (B5 and B8) along with eight known compounds (B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, B10, B14 and B15) were isolated by following bioactivity guided isolation methods. In addition, from non-active fraction, three cycloartane glycosides (B11, B12 and B13) were isolated. Molecular structures of these isolated compounds were revealed by using spectroscopic methods like MS, 1D and 2D NMR and a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. New compounds B5 and B8 showed the highest antiproliferative activities against HeLa cells (IC50 values of 36.6 and 20.6 µM, respectively) while the rest showed high and low activities. Non-endemic species attract relatively low attention from the scientific community but this study demonstrates that valuable new compounds, which might be used as ingredients in medicinal preparations, can be obtained from these materials.

A Novel 4H-Chromen-4-One Derivative from Marine Streptomyces ovatisporus S4702T as Potential Antibacterial and Anti-Cancer Agent.

BACKGROUND: Marine actinomycetes are among indispensable sources of natural bioactive compounds with unique antimicrobial and anti-cancer activities. OBJECTIVE: Herein, it was aimed to elucidate the bioactive potential of a marine-derived Streptomyces ovatisporus S4702T, isolated previously. METHODS: Streptomyces ovatisporus S4702T was cultured in N-Z Amine broth, and extraction was carried out using different organic solvents. Bioassay-guided purification was followed by chemical characterization using NMR and LC-MS/MS. The compound was then evaluated for its antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. RESULTS: Etyl acetate extracts gave the highest antibacterial activity, and chemical characterization of this extract indicated the formula as C15H29O5N3 and the corresponding possible molecular structure as 4H-chromen-4-one derivative. It was found highly potent against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 (MIC: 0.25 µg ml-1) and Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 (MBC: 0.5 µg ml-1). It has no remarkable antioxidant activity, but a higher EC50 value and less cytotoxicity against normal cells. The EC50 values of this chromen derivative were found as 9.68 µg ml-1 for human colon carcinoma, 9.93 µg ml-1 for human prostate adenocarcinoma and 25.5 µg ml-1 for human embryonic kidney cells. CONCLUSION: Overall, the presented 4H-chromen-4-one derivative is a remarkable bioactive compound with potent antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. With its high bioactive potential, it is proposed as a good candidate in medicine.

Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel Artemisinin-Thymol.

A molecular hybridization of natural products is a new concept in drug discovery and having critical roles to design new molecules with improved biological properties. Hybrid molecules display higher biological activities when compared to the parent drugs. In the present study, two natural products (thymol and artemisinin (ART)) are used for the synthesis of new hybrid thymol-artemisinin. After characterization, the cytotoxic activity of ART-thymol was tested against different cancer cell lines and non-cancerous human cell line. ART-Thymol show the cytotoxic effect with EC50 values 70,96µM for HepG2, 97,31µM for LnCap, 6,03µM for Caco-2, 77,98µM for HeLa and 62,28µM for HEK293 cells, respectively. Moreover, ART-Thymol was checked for drug-likeness, and the kinase inhibitory activity. ART-Thymol is investigated by using molecular docking. The results of qPCR was indicated CDK2 and P38 were inhibited by ART-Thymol. These results improved that thymol-artemisinin may be new candidates as an anticancer agents.

Assessment of Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Salvia syriaca L. in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cell Line (Caco-2).

This work is aimed to elucidate cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Salvia syriaca essential oil and its chemical composition by GC-MS. The human colon cancer cells (Caco-2) were treated with different essential oil concentrations for 24 h. Crystal violet test was used to determine cell viability at 630 nm by using an ELISA reader. Apoptotic processes were measured by Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Assay Kit. Germacrene D (21.77%), trans-ß-ocimene (14.66%), ß-pinene (9.07%), α-cadinol (8.19%) and α-pinene (6.50%) were the main components of oil determined by GC-MS. Moreover, we observed that the cytotoxic effect was increased with an increasing dose of essential oil. The EC50 value was calculated as 63.5 µg/mL. An increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells was observed after treatment of Caco-2 cells with S. syriaca essential oil revealed by image-based cytometry. A nearly 6-fold increase was found in annexin-positive cells after treatment. In terms of mRNA levels, RT-PCR analysis indicated that, although Bax and Caspase-3 were increased, Bcl-2 was decreased after oil treatment. According to our results, S. syriaca essential oil has promising phytochemicals that might be useful in cancer treatment due to their relatively cytotoxic and apoptotic activities in Caco-2 cells.

New iridium bis-terpyridine complexes: synthesis, characterization, antibiofilm and anticancer potentials.

This study represents synthesis, characterization, screening of antibiofilm efficacy, and cytotoxicity of iridium bis-terpyridine complexes. The complexes were characterized by NMR, MS, FTIR, UV/Visible, and fluorescence spectroscopies. The efficacy of biofilm inhibition and eradication of iridium complexes was evaluated using a crystal violet assay test and verified by fluorescence microscopy. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis analysis of iridium complexes were determined in this study. The results of our study revealed that three iridium complexes had the potential to inhibit biofilm formation and moderate the ability to destroy pre-formed biofilm of S. aureus ATCC 29,213. 250 µM concentration of synthesized complexes showed the highest antibiofilm activity (75% for Ir1, 90% for Ir2, and 71% for Ir3). The significant inhibition obtained at 6.25 µM concentration of Ir2 and Ir3 revealed the potential of our samples. Also, Ir1 and Ir2 complexes had a good capacity to destroy pre-formed biofilm. The results clearly showed that iridium complexes have cytotoxic activity towards colon cancer (Caco-2) and liver cancer (HepG2) cell lines without affecting non-cancerous cells (HEK293) at applied doses. Moreover, tested compounds induced apoptosis in these cancer cells. All of these results showed that iridium complexes had possessed the ability to inhibit or destroy pre-formed biofilm and could be developed as an effective agent against bacterial biofilms. Moreover, these pure substances may have valuable anti-cancer activity and it should be confirmed with further studies for therapeutic effects.

Identification of 3-Bromo-1-Ethyl-1H-Indole as a Potent Anticancer Agent with Promising Inhibitory Effects on GST Isozymes.

BACKGROUND: Indole-based heterocyclic compounds play important roles in pharmaceutical chemistry due to their unexpected biological and pharmacological properties. OBJECTIVE: Herein, we describe novel biological properties (antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-cancer) of 3- bromo-1-ethyl-1H-indole (BEI) structure. METHODS: BEI was synthesized from 1-Methyl-2-phenylindole and N-bromosuccinimide and was characterized by using 1H and 13C NMR. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis analysis of BEI was determined by Arthur™ image-based Cytometer. Different methods were applied to assess the antioxidant activity of BEI. Molecular docking studies were conducted to determine the interactions of bonding between GST isozymes and BEI. RESULTS: According to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity assays, BEI compound showed reduced total antioxidant activity compared to the Trolox standard, whereas it showed moderate antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus niger and Phytophora eryhtrospora. Notably, the BEI compound demonstrated substantial selective cytotoxicity for the first time towards cancer cell lines, and there existed a significant decrease in the percentage of live cells treated with BEI, in comparison to the control ones. Interestingly, BEI exhibited a promising glutathione S-transferase isozymes inhibition. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that BEI seems to be a promising molecule to be used in the design of new anti-cancer agents that provide superiority to present commercial anti-cancer drugs.

Alpha-lipoic acid alleviates colistin nephrotoxicity in rats.

Colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), a clinical form of colistin, is widely used as a last-line treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacterial infections in critically ill patients presenting a considerably high mortality rate. However, nephrotoxicity is considered to be a critical adverse effect that limits CMS's clinical use. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a strong antioxidant that is effective in preventing nephrotoxicity in many models. The aim of this study was to investigate ALA's ability to protect against nephrotoxicity induced by colistin in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 was the control group (Control; n = 6), in which isotonic saline was administered to the rats. Group 2 was the ALA group (ALA; n = 6) in which rats received 100 mg/kg ALA. Groups 3 was the CMS (CMS; n = 7) in which 450.000 IU/kg/day of CMS was administered to the rats. Groups 4 was the CMS + ALA group (n = 6), in which rats were injected with 100 mg/kg of ALA 30 min before administration of CMS. All injections were performed intraperitoneally at 1, 4, 7, and 10 days. Urine was collected by using a metabolic cage for 24 h after each administration. The rats were euthanized under ether anesthesia after 24 h of the last administration. Blood and kidney samples then were collected for histological and biochemical analysis. ALA pretreatment could reverse the effects of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity, partly through its suppressing effect on Nox4 and caspase-3, which in turn results in its antioxidant and antiapoptotic effect. Therefore, ALA may be an effective strategy for the management of colistin nephrotoxicity.

Alpha lipoic acid attenuates iron induced oxidative acute kidney injury in rats.

Iron has been implicated in oxidative tissue injury owing to its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the reno-protective effects of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) by investigating its effects on the kidney isoform of NADPH oxidase (Nox4) and the specific signaling pathways, p38 MAPK and PI3K/Akt, which participate in apoptosis and survival, respectively. We established four groups of seven rats: control, 100 mg/kg ALA, 80 mg/kg iron sucrose (IS) and IS + ALA. IS and ALA were injected intravenously and rats were sacrificied after 6 h. The mRNA expression of the subunits of NADPH oxidase, Nox4 and p22phox; tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) were measured using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Active caspase-3 protein expression was evaluated by immunostaining. Also, p38 MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways were analyzed using western blot. ALA suppressed the mRNA expression of Nox4, p22phox, TNF-α and KIM-1. Active caspase-3 protein expression induced by IS was decreased by ALA. ALA also suppressed p38 MAPK and activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway following IS administration. We found that ALA may be an effective strategy for preventing oxidative acute kidney injury caused by IS.

Precipitation and characterization of CaCO3 of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens U17 strain producing urease and carbonic anhydrase.

In the present study, the properties of calcium carbonate mineralization and urease and carbonic anhydrase activities of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens U17 isolated from calcareous soil of Denizli (Turkey) were analyzed. CaCO3 was produced in all growth phases. Strain U17 showed 0.615 ± 0.092 µmol/min/mg urease enzyme activity in calcium mineralization medium and 1.315 ± 0.021 µmol/min/mg urease enzyme activity in Luria-Bertani medium supplemented with urea, whereas it showed 36.03 ± 5.48 nmol/min/mg carbonic anhydrase enzyme activity in CaCO3 precipitation medium and 28.82 ± 3.31 nmol/min/mg carbonic anhydrase enzyme activity in Luria-Bertani medium supplemented with urea. The urease B protein expression level of strain U17 was detected by western blotting for the first time. The produced CaCO3 crystals were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, confocal RAMAN spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalyzer for the evaluation of their morphological and elemental properties. Rhombohedral vaterite and layered calcite crystals were clearly detected and verified by mineralogical analyses. All these results showed that strain U17 can be used in many engineering and geological applications due to its CaCO3 precipitation ability.

Temporal and Spatial Epigenome Editing Allows Precise Gene Regulation in Mammalian Cells.

Cell-type specific gene expression programs are tightly linked to epigenetic modifications on DNA and histone proteins. Here, we used a novel CRISPR-based epigenome editing approach to control gene expression spatially and temporally. We show that targeting dCas9-p300 complex to distal non-regulatory genomic regions reprograms the chromatin state of these regions into enhancer-like elements. Notably, through controlling the spatial distance of these induced enhancers (i-Enhancer) to the promoter, the gene expression amplitude can be tightly regulated. To better control the temporal persistence of induced gene expression, we integrated the auxin-inducible degron technology with CRISPR tools. This approach allows rapid depletion of the dCas9-fused epigenome modifier complex from the target site and enables temporal control over gene expression regulation. Using this tool, we investigated the temporal persistence of a locally edited epigenetic mark and its functional consequences. The tools and approaches presented here will allow novel insights into the mechanism of epigenetic memory and gene regulation from distal regulatory sites.

Capparis ovata treatment suppresses inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorates experimental allergic encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis in C57BL/6 mice.

Since ancient times, Capparis species have been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. Our recent investigations have suggested Capparis ovata's potential anti-neuroinflammatory application for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study was designed to precisely determine the underlying mechanism of its anti-neuroinflammatory effect in a mouse model of MS. C. ovata water extract (COWE) was prepared using the plant's fruit, buds, and flower parts (Turkish Patent Institute, PT 2012/04,093). We immunized female C57BL/6J mice with MOG35-55/CFA. COWE was administered at a daily dose of 500mg/kg by oral gavage either from the day of immunization (T1) or at disease onset (T2) for 21days. Gene expression analysis was performed using a Mouse Multiple Sclerosis RT² Profiler PCR Array, and further determinations and validations of the identified genes were performed using qPCR. Whole-genome transcriptome profiling was analyzed using Agilent SurePrint G3 Mouse GE 8X60K microarrays. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to brain sections of the control and treated mice to examine the degree of degeneration. COWE was further fractionated and analyzed phytochemically using the Zivak Tandem Gold Triple Quadrupole LC/MS-MS system. COWE remarkably suppressed the development of EAE in T1, and the disease activity was completely inhibited. In the T2 group, the maximal score was significantly reduced compared with that of the parallel EAE group. The COWE suppression of EAE was associated with a significantly decreased expression of genes that are important in inflammatory signaling, such as TNFα, IL6, NF-κB, CCL5, CXCL9, and CXCK10. On the other hand, the expression of genes involved in myelination/remyelination was significantly increased. Immunohistochemical analysis further supported these effects, showing that the number of infiltrating immune cells was decreased in the brains of COWE-treated animals. In addition, differential expression profiling of the transcriptome revealed that COWE treatment caused the down regulation of a group of genes involved in the immune response, inflammatory response, antigen processing and presentation, B-cell-mediated immunity and innate immune response. Collectively, these results suggest anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms by which COWE treatment delayed and suppressed the development of EAE and ameliorated the disease in mice with persistent clinical signs.

Inhibitory action of Epilobium hirsutum extract and its constituent ellagic acid on drug-metabolizing enzymes.

Epilobium hirsutum (EH) is a medicinal plant for treating various diseases. Despite its wide usage, there is no available information about its potential influences on drug metabolism. The present study was undertaken to determine the in vivo effects of EH on hepatic CYP2B, CYP2C, CYP2D, and CYP3A enzymes that are primarily involved in drug metabolism. Male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with EH water extract (EHWE) and ellagic acid (EA) at a daily dose of 37.5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, for 9 days and hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes were assessed at activity, protein and mRNA levels. Erythromycin N-demethylase activity was inhibited by 53 and 21 % in EHWE- and EA-treated rats, respectively. Benzphetamine N-demethylase and 7-benzyloxyresorufin-O-debenzylase activities were decreased by 53 and 43 %, and 57 and 57 % in EHWE-and EA-treated rats, respectively. Moreover, protein levels of CYP2B1, CYP2C6, CYP2D2, and CYP3A1 also decreased by 55, 15, 33, and 82 % as a result of EHWE treatment of rats, respectively. Similarly, CYP2B1, CYP2C6, CYP2D2, and CYP3A1 protein levels decreased by 62, 63, 49, and 37 % with EA treatment, respectively. qRT-PCR analyses also showed that mRNA levels of these enzymes were significantly inhibited with bothEHWE and EA treatments. In conclusion, inhibition of drug clearances leading to drug toxicity because of the lowered activity and expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes might be observed in the people who used EH as complementary herbal remedy that might be contributed by its EA content.

Modulatory role of GSTM1 null genotype on the frequency of micronuclei in pesticide-exposed agricultural workers.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the extent of genotoxic risk and the association between null GSTM1/GSTT1 and GSTP1 Ile105Val variants and cellular DNA damage, as measured by micronucleus (MN) assay in a group of agricultural workers from Denizli, Turkey. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 116 subjects, including 58 workers who were occupationally exposed to pesticides and 58 healthy unexposed controls. The MN frequencies of each individual were assessed by cytokinesis-blocked micronuclei assays on lymphocytes. Genotypes for different GST variants were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based methods. A significant 3.4-fold increase in MN frequency was observed in workers compared with the controls (p < 0.001). Among the GST genotypes, only the GSTM1 null genotype was found to be significantly associated with an increased MN frequency in workers (p = 0.01). Individuals with a concomitant null GSTM1/GSTT1 genotype demonstrated a significant (p = 0.01) increase in MN frequency compared with those with functional isozymes in the exposed worker group. The association of the GSTM1 null genotype with higher MN frequency suggests that it may be a modifier of genotoxic risk in individuals exposed to pesticides and may thus be a candidate susceptibility biomarker for human biomonitoring studies.