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Endothelial hyperpermeability is associated with pathogenesis of a several diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and sepsis. The mechanism underlying this process is the existence and excessive leakage of plasma rich protein fluids across the endothelial barrier. The maintenance of barrier function is critical to maintain the role of vascular endothelium as a barrier. However, a number of inflammatory mediators are found to contribute towards endothelial dysfunction. The key mechanisms that lead to defective endothelial barrier function are disintegration of endothelial cell-cell junctions as well as remodeling of action cytoskeleton, resulting in the formation of intracellular gaps that mediate transendothelial migration. Great progress has been made in understanding the underlying processes that include activation of intracellular signaling molecules involved in endothelial barrier disturbance. Thus, by seeking an agent which targets the signaling molecules that disrupt the endothelial-junction-cytoskeleton, may help to establish a therapeutic potential to enhance endothelial barrier function during inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation is a biological response and a defence mechanism by the body to remove harmful stimuli followed by healing process. Healing is a process of skin and other soft tissue repair at the site of injury. However, uncontrolled inflammation could lead to serious illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which cause great impact on public health and economy. This necessitates supplementation with antiinflammatory properties to prevent or remove unnecessary inflammation and damage. For ages, Tualang honey (TH) has been used as a natural remedy for inflammation and wounds. TH also exhibits antioxidant, antibacterial and reproductive properties. This review collates the various studies on anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties of TH. It also presents findings that indicate that honey may ameliorate ultraviolet-induced inflammation of the skin, chemical- induced inflammation of the eyes and oxidative stress on the eyes. Besides, wound-healing properties have also been highlighted here. These data suggest that TH might be a therapeutic agent in the management of inflammation and wound healing. However, there is a need to study the underlying mechanism of action of TH in vitro and in vivo, to develop a better understanding of its potential benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Bixa orellana (AEBO) leaves and its possible mechanisms in animal models. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was evaluated using serotonin-induced rat paw edema, increased peritoneal vascular permeability, and leukocyte infiltrations in an air-pouch model. Nitric oxide (NO), indicated by the sum of nitrites and nitrates, and vascular growth endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in paw tissues of rats to determine their involvement in the regulation of increased permeability. Pretreatments with AEBO (50 and 150 mgkg-1) prior to serotonin inductions resulted in maximum inhibitions of 56.2% of paw volume, 45.7% of Evans blue dye leakage in the peritoneal vascular permeability model, and 83.9% of leukocyte infiltration in the air-pouch model. 57.2% maximum inhibition of NO and 27% of VEGF formations in rats' paws were observed with AEBO at the dose of 150 mgkg-1. Pharmacological screening of the extract showed significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity, indicated by the suppressions of increased vascular permeability and leukocyte infiltration. The inhibitions of these inflammatory events are probably mediated via inhibition of NO and VEGF formation and release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Inflammatory diseases are influenced by oxidative stress. Oxidatively damaged 8-oxoG in DNA is linked to inflammation. The enzyme OGG1 is responsible for repairing the damaged base in the DNA which is linked to pro-inflammatory signaling and severe inflammation. This study aims to explore the potential of targeting OGG1 as a therapeutic strategy in inflammatory disease conditions. Methods: A comprehensive search and review of literature were conducted using appropriate scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and other references to obtain relevant information that suited the title and content of this article. Results: Compelling pieces of evidence from many previous studies have shown the crucial role of the OGG1/8oxoG pathway in inflammatory disease conditions, leading to severe inflammatory response and death. Therefore, based on these pieces of evidence, targeting this enzyme (OGG1) using specific pharmacological inhibitors or interventions might lead to downregulation and amelioration of severe inflammation to reduce the morbimortality related to several disease conditions. Conclusion: This review highlighted the molecular mechanism of OGG1 activity via the 8-oxo/OGG1 pathway and its role in inflammation and inflammatory disease conditions. Due to the paucity of studies involving OGG1in inflammatory infectious diseases, further research projects are needed to explore the therapeutic potential of various OGG1 inhibitors to serve as novel therapeutic strategies in infectious inflammatory diseases of medical importance in developing countries such as malaria, meningitis, tuberculosis among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease well known as the leading cause of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs). Astaxanthin (ATX) is a reddish pigment that belongs to the family of xanthophylls, which are oxygenated derivatives of carotenoids. Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the targets and mechanisms involved in treating atherosclerosis using network pharmacology and molecular approaches. Materials and Methods: The genes targeted by ATX were predicted using Swiss Target Prediction, BATMAN-TCM, and Super-Pred databases, while genes associated with atherosclerosis were retrieved from DigSee, GAD, GeneCards, and OMIM databases. The interactions between ATX and atherosclerosis genes were identified through protein-protein interaction analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results: The results revealed a total of 240 ATX-related genes and 4,977 atherosclerosis-related genes, with 172 overlapping genes identified. Six core genes were obtained: SRC, AKT1, MAPK3, HDAC1, PIK3R1, and RXRA. These results were further validated through the molecular docking approach, where all six core targets exhibit low binding energy, suggesting strong binding affinity, with PIK3R1 having the best binding affinity among them. Conclusion: Our study provides novel insights into the potential application of ATX in the management of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weed Alternanthera sessilis, having Green (ASG) and Red (ASR) cultivars, is a member of the Amaranthaceae. Both cultivars are known to possess high medicinal and nutraceutical values as they are widely utilized in traditional medicine. Populations from various Asian regions commonly consume this medicinal weed as part of diet and as therapeutic agent. In general, both cultivars have been employed for treating a broad range of human ailments including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and inflammatory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis and hepatitis apart from its administration as a painkiller. Following its ethnomedicinal uses, an attempt was made to review and consolidate the phytochemical constituents of ASG and ASR discovered from previous studies that utilized advanced technologies, respective traditional application among different ethnicities of Asia and their established pharmacological properties. All the information in this study was acquired through a literature search of research databases, namely ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords such as Alternanthera sessilis, Alternanthera sessilis red, dwarf copperleaf and sessile joyweed. The results of each study were reviewed to identify its relevance and the cultivar that was being investigated. All relevant studies were collected and its subsequent results were reported and discussed to provide insights into the health enhancing qualities of ASG and ASR. Inspection of phytoconstituents in ASG and ASR showed the presence of polyphenol, flavonoid, carotenoid, terpenes and alkaloid with polyphenol being the major chemical group found in both cultivars. It was also revealed that whilst ASR is traditionally consumed in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, indigenous usage of ASG is more common in nations such as Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia. Both ASG and ASR showed potent anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, antimicrobial, antifungal and hepatoprotective effects while the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and analgesic properties were disclosed in ASG only. Further processing and commercialization of this remedial weed as a product benefiting the wellbeing of humans is recommended as Alternanthera sessilis has high potential to be utilized as a curative agent while being a vital ingredient that can be included in daily consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in vitro cytotoxicity tests on the extracts of Mesua beccariana, M. ferrea, and M. congestiflora against Raji, SNU-1, HeLa, LS-174T, NCI-H23, SK-MEL-28, Hep-G2, IMR-32, and K562 were achieved using MTT assay. The methanol extracts of Mesua beccariana showed its potency towards the proliferation of B-lymphoma cell (Raji). In addition, only the nonpolar to semipolar extracts (hexane to ethyl acetate) of the three Mesua species indicated cytotoxic effects on the tested panel of human cancer cell lines. Antioxidant assays were evaluated using DPPH scavenging radical assay and Folin-Ciocalteu method. The methanol extracts of M. beccariana and M. ferrea showed high antioxidant activities with low EC50 values of 12.70 and 9.77 μg/mL, respectively, which are comparable to that of ascorbic acid (EC50 = 5.62 μg/mL). Antibacterial tests were carried out using four Gram positive and four Gram negative bacteria on Mesua beccariana extracts. All the extracts showed negative results in the inhibition of Gram negative bacteria. Nevertheless, methanol extracts showed some activities against Gram positive bacteria which are Bacillus cereus, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while the hexane extract also contributed some activities towards Bacillus cereus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]