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Evaluation of Antidiarrheal Activity of Methanolic Extract of Maranta arundinacea Linn. Leaves.
Authors: Rahman MK, Chowdhury MA, Islam MT, Chowdhury MA, Uddin ME, Sumi CD Abstract Diarrhea is one of the most common causes for thousands of deaths every year. Therefore, identification of new source of antidiarrheal drugs becomes one of the most prominent focuses in modern research. Our aim was to investigate the antidiarrheal and cytotoxic activities of methanolic extract of Maranta arundinacea linn. (MEMA) leaves in rats and brine shrimp, respectively. Antidiarrheal effect was evaluated by using castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and gastrointestinal motility tests at 200 mg/kg and 400 m...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - September 9, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Comparative Effect of Lisinopril and Fosinopril in Mitigating Learning and Memory Deficit in Scopolamine-Induced Amnesic Rats.
Authors: Deb D, Bairy KL, Nayak V, Rao M Abstract Lisinopril and fosinopril were compared on scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits in rats. A total of eighty-four male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups. Group I received 2% gum acacia orally for 4 weeks, group II received normal saline, and group III received scopolamine (2 mg/kg/ip) as single dose. Groups IV and V received lisinopril ( 0.225 mg/kg and 0.45 mg/kg), while Groups VI and VII received fosinopril (0.90 mg/kg and 1.80 mg/kg), respectively, orally for four weeks, followed by scopolamine (2 mg/kg/ip) given 45 minutes...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - August 26, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Heparin and Its Derivatives: A Systematic Review.
Conclusion. Despite the conflicting results, heparin seems to be a safe and effective anti-inflammatory agent; although it is shown that heparin can decrease the level of inflammatory biomarkers and improves patient conditions, still more data from larger rigorously designed studies are needed to support use of heparin as an anti-inflammatory agent in clinical setting. However, because of the association between inflammation, atherogenesis, thrombogenesis, and cell proliferation, heparin and related compounds with pleiotropic effects may have greater therapeutic efficacy than compounds acting against a single target. ...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - June 14, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Antileishmanial Effect of 5,3'-Hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavanone of Picramnia gracilis Tul. (Picramniaceae) Fruit: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.
In conclusion, this is the first report about isolation of 5,3'-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavanone of P. gracilis Tul. The leishmanicidal activity attributed to this flavanone is also reported for the first time. Finally, the in vitro and in vivo leishmanicidal activity reported here for 5,3'-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavanone offers a greater prospect towards antileishmanial drug discovery and development. PMID: 26064104 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - June 14, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Liver fibrosis and protection mechanisms action of medicinal plants targeting apoptosis of hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells.
Authors: Duval F, Moreno-Cuevas JE, González-Garza MT, Rodríguez-Montalvo C, Cruz-Vega DE Abstract Following chronic liver injury, hepatocytes undergo apoptosis leading to activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Consequently, activated HSC proliferate and produce excessive extracellular matrix, responsible for the scar formation. The pandemic trend of obesity, combined with the high incidence of alcohol intake and viral hepatitis infections, highlights the urgent need to find accessible antifibrotic therapies. Treatment strategies should take into account the versatility of its pathogenesis and act o...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - December 18, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

The Effect of an Aqueous Extract of Teucrium polium on Glutathione Homeostasis In Vitro: A Possible Mechanism of Its Hepatoprotectant Action.
Conclusion. These data indicate that the mechanism of the hepatoprotective action of aqueous extracts of T. polium may be, in part, due to augmenting intracellular glutathione levels. PMID: 21188245 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

The role of tetrahydrobiopterin and dihydrobiopterin in ischemia/reperfusion injury when given at reperfusion.
In conclusion, these results suggest that promoting eNOS coupling to produce NO and decrease H(2)O(2) may be a key mechanism to restore postreperfused organ function during early reperfusion. PMID: 21188246 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Toxicokinetics of kava.
Authors: Rowe A, Zhang LY, Ramzan I Abstract Kava is traditionally consumed by South Pacific islanders as a drink and became popular in Western society as a supplement for anxiety and insomnia. Kava extracts are generally well tolerated, but reports of hepatotoxicity necessitated an international reappraisal of its safety. Hepatotoxicity can occur as an acute, severe form or a chronic, mild form. Inflammation appears to be involved in both forms and may result from activation of liver macrophages (Kupffer cells), either directly or via kava metabolites. Pharmacogenomics may influence the severity of this i...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Preparation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of vinpocetine elementary osmotic pump system.
Authors: Ning M, Zhou Y, Chen G, Mei X Abstract Preparation and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of vinpocetine (VIN) elementary osmotic pump (EOP) formulations were investigated. A method for the preparation of VIN elementary osmotic pump tablet was obtained by adding organic acid additives to increase VIN solubility. VIN was used as the active pharmaceutical ingredient, lactose and mannitol as osmotic agent. Citric acid was used as increasing API solubility and without resulting in the API degradation. It is found that the VIN release rate was increasing with the citric acid amount at a constant range. Ce...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Testosterone increases: sodium reabsorption, blood pressure, and renal pathology in female spontaneously hypertensive rats on a high sodium diet.
In conclusion, T accelerated the development of hypertension similar to the BP pattern observed in males; the presence of ovaries attenuated the T induced increase in BP; T increased renal sodium reabsorption, and T increased glomerulosclerosis. PMID: 21603136 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

The immunomodulatory effects of albumin in vitro and in vivo.
Authors: Wheeler DS, Giuliano JS, Lahni PM, Denenberg A, Wong HR, Zingarelli B Abstract Albumin appears to have proinflammatory effects in vitro. We hypothesized that albumin would induce a state of tolerance to subsequent administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro and in vivo. RAW264.7 and primary peritoneal macrophages were treated with increasing doses of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and harvested for NF-κB luciferase reporter assay or TNF-α ELISA. In separate experiments, RAW264.7 cells were preconditioned with 1 mg/mL BSA for 18 h prior to LPS (10 μg/mL) treatment and harvested for NF-...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Pharmacokinetics of p-Aminohippuric Acid and Inulin in Rabbits with Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy.
In conclusion, major renal lesions were found on proximal tubules after AANa administration. The PKs of PAH and inulin significantly changed, and kidney functions, including the RPF and GFR, were reduced. PMID: 21738526 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

The pharmacology of acute lung injury in sepsis.
Authors: Varisco BM Abstract Acute lung injury (ALI) secondary to sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in sepsis. As such, many pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies have been employed to attenuate its course. Very few of these strategies have proven beneficial. In this paper, we discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ALI, commonly employed pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments, and innovative therapeutic modalities that will likely be the focus of future trials. PMID: 21738527 [PubMed] (Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences)
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

Differential Neuroprotection of Selective Estrogen Receptor Agonists against Autonomic Dysfunction and Ischemic Cell Death in Permanent versus Reperfusion Injury.
Authors: Connell BJ, Saleh TM Abstract In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that selective activation of estrogen receptor subtypes (ERα and ERβ) would be neuroprotective following ischemia and/or ischemia-reperfusion, as well as prevent the associated autonomic dysfunction. The selective ERα agonist, PPT, when administered 30 min prior to occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (pMCAO), resulted in a dose-dependent neuroprotection as measured 6 hours postpermanent MCAO, but not following 30 mins of MCAO followed by 5.5 hrs of reperfusion (I/R). In contrast, 30 min pretreatment with th...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research

The Mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill Elicits Medicinal Effects on Tumor, Infection, Allergy, and Inflammation through Its Modulation of Innate Immunity and Amelioration of Th1/Th2 Imbalance and Inflammation.
Authors: Hetland G, Johnson E, Lyberg T, Kvalheim G Abstract The medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill from the Brazilian rain forest has been used in traditional medicine and as health food for the prevention of a range of diseases, including infection, allergy, and cancer. Other scientists and we have examined whether there is scientific evidence behind such postulations. Agaricus blazei M is rich in the immunomodulating polysaccharides, β-glucans, and has been shown to have antitumor, anti-infection, and antiallergic/-asthmatic properties in mouse models, in addition to anti-inflammatory effects in...
Source: Advances in Pharmacological Sciences - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Adv Pharmacol Sci Source Type: research