Effects of major ozonated autoheamotherapy on functional recovery, ischemic brain tissue apoptosis and oxygen free radical damage in the rat model of cerebral ischemia

miR-214 Alleviates Ischemic Stroke-Induced Neuronal Death by Targeting DAPK1 in Mice

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke induces neuronal cell death and causes brain dysfunction. Preventing neuronal cell death after stroke is key to protecting the brain from stroke damage. Nevertheless, preventative measures and treatment strategies for stroke damage are scarce. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

METHODS

A photochemically induced thrombosis (PIT) mouse model was used as an ischemic stroke model. qRT-PCR was employed to assess changes in miRNAs in ischemic lesions of PIT-stroke mice and primary cultured neurons subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was performed to evaluate brain infarction tissues in vivo. TUNEL staining was employed to assess neuronal death in vitro. Neurological scores and motor coordination were investigated to evaluate stroke damage, including neurological deficits and motor function.

RESULTS

In vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that levels of miR-124 were significantly decreased following stroke, whereas changes in death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) levels exhibited the converse pattern. DAPK1 was identified as a direct target of miR-124. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and OGD-induced neuronal death was rescued by miR-124 overexpression. Upregulation of miR-124 levels significantly improved PIT-stroke damage, including the overall neurological function in mice.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate the involvement of the miR-124/DAPK1 pathway in ischemic neuronal death. Our results highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway for ischemic stroke.

Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases

Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Long term exposure to increased levels of pro-oxidant factors can cause structural defects at a mitochondrial DNA level, as well as functional alteration of several enzymes and cellular structures leading to aberrations in gene expression. The modern lifestyle associated with processed food, exposure to a wide range of chemicals and lack of exercise plays an important role in oxidative stress induction. However, the use of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties has been exploited for their ability to treat or prevent several human pathologies in which oxidative stress seems to be one of the causes. In this review we discuss the diseases in which oxidative stress is one of the triggers and the plant-derived antioxidant compounds with their mechanisms of antioxidant defenses that can help in the prevention of these diseases. Finally, both the beneficial and detrimental effects of antioxidant molecules that are used to reduce oxidative stress in several human conditions are discussed.

Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases

Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Long term exposure to increased levels of pro-oxidant factors can cause structural defects at a mitochondrial DNA level, as well as functional alteration of several enzymes and cellular structures leading to aberrations in gene expression. The modern lifestyle associated with processed food, exposure to a wide range of chemicals and lack of exercise plays an important role in oxidative stress induction. However, the use of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties has been exploited for their ability to treat or prevent several human pathologies in which oxidative stress seems to be one of the causes. In this review we discuss the diseases in which oxidative stress is one of the triggers and the plant-derived antioxidant compounds with their mechanisms of antioxidant defenses that can help in the prevention of these diseases. Finally, both the beneficial and detrimental effects of antioxidant molecules that are used to reduce oxidative stress in several human conditions are discussed.

Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases

Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Long term exposure to increased levels of pro-oxidant factors can cause structural defects at a mitochondrial DNA level, as well as functional alteration of several enzymes and cellular structures leading to aberrations in gene expression. The modern lifestyle associated with processed food, exposure to a wide range of chemicals and lack of exercise plays an important role in oxidative stress induction. However, the use of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties has been exploited for their ability to treat or prevent several human pathologies in which oxidative stress seems to be one of the causes. In this review we discuss the diseases in which oxidative stress is one of the triggers and the plant-derived antioxidant compounds with their mechanisms of antioxidant defenses that can help in the prevention of these diseases. Finally, both the beneficial and detrimental effects of antioxidant molecules that are used to reduce oxidative stress in several human conditions are discussed.

Bridging free radical chemistry with drug discovery: A promising way for finding novel drugs efficiently

Many diseases have been regarded to correlate with the in vivo oxidative damages, which are caused by overproduced free radicals from metabolic process or reactive oxygen species (ROS). This background motivates chemists to explore free radical reactions and to design a number of antioxidants, but whether free radical chemistry can be applied to accelerate the efficacy of the drug discovery is still underrepresented. Herein, in light of recent findings as well as kinetics on free radical reaction, the discipline of free radical chemistry is introduced to be a novel tool for finding potential drugs from antioxidant libraries accumulated during the study on free radical chemistry. These antioxidants provide with such abundant types of structural skeleton that might be employed to inhibit oxidations in different biological microenvironments. Although the in vitro characterization on the antioxidative property exerts a potential role of an antioxidant as a prodrug, the in vivo investigation on the property for quenching free radicals will make a final decision for the antioxidant whether it is worthy to be further explored pharmacologically. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that bridging free radical chemistry with the pharmacological research will provide with a succinct way for finding novel drugs efficiently.

Inhibition of HDAC3 Ameliorates Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Diabetic Mice In Vivo and In Vitro

BACKGROUND

A substantial increase in histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) expression is implicated in the pathological process of diabetes and stroke. However, it is unclear whether HDAC3 plays an important role in diabetes complicated with stroke. We aimed to explore the role and the potential mechanisms of HDAC3 in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in diabetic state.

METHODS

Diabetic mice were subjected to 1 h ischemia, followed by 24 h reperfusion. PC12 cells were exposed to high glucose for 24 h, followed by 3 h of hypoxia and 6 h of reoxygenation (H/R). Diabetic mice received RGFP966 (the specific HDAC3 inhibitor) or vehicle 30 minutes before the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and high glucose-incubated PC12 cells were pretreated with RGFP966 or vehicle 6 h before H/R.

RESULTS

HDAC3 inhibition reduced the cerebral infarct volume, ameliorated pathological changes, improved the cell viability and cytotoxicity, alleviated apoptosis, attenuated oxidative stress, and enhanced autophagy in cerebral I/R injury model in diabetic state in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found that the expression of HDAC3 was remarkably amplified, and the Bmal1 expression was notably decreased in diabetic mice with cerebral I/R, whereas this phenomenon was obviously reversed by RGFP966 pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that the HDAC3 was involved in the pathological process of the complex disease of diabetic stroke. Suppression of HDAC3 exerted protective effects against cerebral I/R injury in diabetic state in vivo and in vitro via the modulation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy, which might be mediated by the upregulation of Bmal1.