Bis-(3-hydroxyphenyl) diselenide inhibits LPS-stimulated iNOS and COX-2 expression in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells through the NF-kB inactivation

Mechanistic insights into the protective effect of paracetamol against rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease in rats: Possible role of endocannabinoid system modulation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disabling progressive neurodegenerative disease. So far, PD's treatment remains symptomatic with no curative effects. Aside from its blatant analgesic and antipyretic efficacy, recent studies highlighted the endowed neuroprotective potentials of paracetamol (PCM). To this end: the present study investigated: (1) Possible protective role of PCM against rotenone-induced PD-like neurotoxicity in rats, and (2) the mechanisms underlying its neuroprotective actions including cannabinoid receptors' modulation. A dose-response study was conducted using three doses of PCM (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day, i.p.) and their effects on body weight changes, spontaneous locomotor activity, rotarod test, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-synuclein expression, and striatal dopamine (DA) content were evaluated. Results revealed that PCM (100 mg/kg/day, i.p.) halted PD motor impairment, prevented rotenone-induced weight loss, restored normal histological tissue structure, reversed rotenone-induced reduction in TH expression and striatal DA content, and markedly decreased midbrain and striatal α-synuclein expression in rotenone-treated rats. Accordingly, PCM (100 mg/kg/day, i.p.) was selected for further mechanistic investigations, where it ameliorated rotenone-induced oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, apoptosis, and disturbed cannabinoid receptors' expression. In conclusion, our findings imply a multi-target neuroprotective effect of PCM in PD which could be attributed to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities, in addition to cannabinoid receptors' modulation.

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic potential of phenolic acids and flavonoid fractions isolated from Lolium multiflorum

CONTEXT

Interest has recently renewed in using Lolium multiflorum Lam. (Poaceae) (called Italian ryegrass; IRG) silage as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory diet.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic potential of IRG silage and identified the primary components in IRG active fractions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total 16 fractions were separated from the chloroform-soluble extract of IRG aerial part using Sephadex LH-20 column before HPLC analysis. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the fractions at doses of 0-100 μg/mL were investigated using various cell-free and cell-mediated assay systems. To explore anti-septic effect of IRG fractions, female ICR and BALB/c mice orally received 40 mg/kg of phenolic acid and flavonoid-rich active fractions F₇ and F₈ every other day for 10 days, respectively, followed by LPS challenge.

RESULTS

The active fractions showed greater antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential compared with other fractions. IC₅₀ values of F₇ and F₈ to reduce LPS-stimulated NO and TNF-α production were around 15 and 30 μg/mL, respectively. Comparison of retention times with authentic compounds through HPLC analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, ferulic acid, myricetin and kaempferol in the fractions as primary components. These fractions inhibited LPS-stimulated MAPK and NF-κB activation. Supplementation with F₇ or F₈ improved the survival rates of mice to 70 and 60%, respectively, in LPS-injected mice and reduced near completely serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

This study highlights antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic activities of IRG active fractions, eventually suggesting their usefulness in preventing oxidative damage and inflammatory disorders.