A clinical study and future prospects for bioactive compounds and semi-synthetic molecules in the therapies for Huntington's disease

A neurodegenerative disorder (ND) refers to Huntington's disease (HD) which affects memory loss, weight loss, and movement dysfunctions such as chorea and dystonia. In the striatum and brain, HD most typically impacts medium-spiny neurons. Molecular genetics, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress (OS), mitochondrial, and metabolic dysfunction are a few of the theories advanced to explicit the pathophysiology of neuronal damage and cell death. Numerous in-depth studies of the literature have supported the therapeutic advantages of natural products in HD experimental models and other treatment approaches. This article briefly discusses the neuroprotective impacts of natural compounds against HD models. The ability of the discovered natural compounds to suppress HD was tested using either in vitro or in vivo models. Many bioactive compounds considerably lessened the memory loss and motor coordination brought on by 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP). Reduced lipid peroxidation, increased endogenous enzymatic antioxidants, reduced acetylcholinesterase activity, and enhanced mitochondrial energy generation have profoundly decreased the biochemical change. It is significant since histology showed that therapy with particular natural compounds lessened damage to the striatum caused by 3-NP. Moreover, natural products displayed varying degrees of neuroprotection in preclinical HD studies because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, maintenance of mitochondrial function, activation of autophagy, and inhibition of apoptosis. This study highlighted about the importance of bioactive compounds and their semi-synthetic molecules in the treatment and prevention of HD.

Pharmaceutical, Therapeutically and Nutraceutical Potential of Aloe Vera: A Mini-review

Aloe vera belongs to the family of Asphodelaceae, the oldest medicinal herb ever found and the world's most common medicinal plant. It is known as Ghritkumari, is used in medicine sources of homeopathy, ayurvedic, and allopathy. The species is a good source of repository of chemical ingredients that shows a precise range of biological activities such as wound healing, burn treatment, mitigating frost bite damage, defense against, lung cancer, intestinal problems, x-ray damage to the body, raising and decreasing high density and low lipoprotein content, reduction of diabetic blood sugar, battle against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and strengthening of the immune system. Aloe vera leaves are used to create drinks, perfume, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments. The plant's key ingredients are different kinds of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, saponins, amino acids, and salicylic acids. The plant is a good source of antioxidants. It also contains folic acid and vitamin A, C, E and B12. Aloe vera gel includes important ingredients, including the essential amino acids required by the human body. The plant can be used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. This research article is an effort towards Aloe Vera's industrial and ethnobotanical characteristics.

HIV-sensitive social protection services in mitigating the challenges and vulnerability of the children affected by HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh: a qualitative study

Children are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of HIV/AIDS. This paper reports on the challenges faced by children due to their or their parents' HIV/AIDS status and the role of HIV-sensitive social protection in mitigating these challenges. We conducted 32 semi-structured in-depth interviews - 15 with children affected by HIV/AIDS (aged 13-18 years) and 17 with parents of children aged 10-12 years. We found children face significant challenges associated with poverty, gender norms, stigma, and lack of social support which affect their rights to education, shelter, treatment, and food. HIV-sensitive social protection packages such as conditional cash transfer, counselling, and community sensitization help continuation of education, facilitate access to treatment and social protection services, reduce stigma in the community and improve wellbeing of children. Children's accessibility to these services was limited due to distance, transport expenses, poor health conditions of the parents, gender issues, and stigma. HIV-sensitive social protection is effective in improving children's wellbeing. Continuation and expansion of HIV-sensitive social protection packages including conditional cash transfer, psychosocial counselling, and community sensitization and life skills training to facilitate HIV/AIDS affected children's wellbeing and inclusion is recommended.

Nitrative DNA damage in cultured macrophages exposed to indium oxide

Objectives:

Indium compounds are used in manufacturing displays of mobile phones and televisions. However, these materials cause interstitial pneumonia in exposed workers. Animal experiments demonstrated that indium compounds caused lung cancer. Chronic inflammation is considered to play a role in lung carcinogenesis and fibrosis induced by particulate matters. 8-Nitroguanine (8-nitroG) is a mutagenic DNA lesion formed during inflammation and may participate in carcinogenesis. To clarify the mechanism of carcinogenesis, we examined 8-nitroG formation in indium-exposed cultured cells.

Methods:

We treated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages with indium oxide (In₂O₃) nanoparticles (primary diameter: 30-50 nm), and performed fluorescent immunocytochemistry to detect 8-nitroG. The extent of 8-nitroG formation was evaluated by quantitative image analysis. We measured the amount of nitric oxide (NO) in the culture supernatant of In₂O₃-treated cells by the Griess method. We also examined the effects of inhibitors of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and endocytosis on In₂O₃-induced 8-nitroG formation.

Results:

In₂O₃ significantly increased the intensity of 8-nitroG formation in RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In₂O₃-induced 8-nitroG formation was observed at 2 h and further increased at 4 h, and the amount of NO released from In₂O₃-exposed cells was significantly increased at 2-4 h compared with the control. 8-NitroG formation was suppressed by 1400W (an iNOS inhibitor), methyl-β-cyclodextrin and monodansylcadaverine (inhibitors of caveolae- and clathrin-mediated endocytosis, respectively).

Conclusions:

These results suggest that endocytosis and NO generation participate in indium-induced 8-nitroG formation. NO released from indium-exposed inflammatory cells may induce DNA damage in adjacent lung epithelial cells and contribute to carcinogenesis.

Nitrative DNA damage induced by carbon-black nanoparticles in macrophages and lung epithelial cells

Carbon black (CB) is a nanomaterial used mainly in rubber products. Exposure to CB by inhalation causes malignant lung tumors in experimental animals. CB inhalation may cause chronic inflammation in the respiratory system, leading to carcinogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are generated from inflammatory and epithelial cells under inflammatory conditions, and resulting DNA damage may contribute to carcinogenesis. In this study, we performed immunocytochemistry to determine whether CB exposure induces formation of 8-nitroguanine (8-nitroG), a nitrative DNA lesion formed under inflammatory conditions, in RAW 264.7 macrophage and A549 lung epithelial cells. We compared the DNA-damaging effects of CB particles with primary diameter 56nm (CB56) and 95nm (CB95). Both types of CB induced 8-nitroG formation, mainly in the nucleus of RAW 264.7 and A549 cells, and CB95 tended to induce more 8-nitroG formation than did CB56. Flow cytometry revealed that CB95 generated larger amount of reactive oxygen species than did CB56 in RAW 264.7 cells. The Griess method showed that CB95 produced significantly larger amount of nitric oxide (NO) than did CB56. Flow cytometry showed that CB95 was more efficiently internalized into the cells than was CB56. The cellular uptake of CB and 8-nitroG formation in RAW 264.7 cells were reduced by monodansylcadaverine, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and by siRNA for Ctlc (clathrin heavy chain) gene. CB induces nitrative DNA damage in cultured cells, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis is involved, at least in part.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in renal allografts: Is it possible to diagnose the etiology?

Recurrence of FSGS in renal allo grafts is a major cause of graft loss. In this context, we tried to diagnose and classify FSGS in renal allografts. Indications for biopsy included graft dysfunction and/or proteinuria. Three hundred and sixty-three graft biopsies were studied over a period of 2 years. We classified FSGS into recurrent FSGS, new-onset primary FSGS and FSGS secondary to chronic humoral rejection, calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, and nephron loss and hyperfiltration injury. Twenty-four cases were diagnosed as FSGS, constituting 6.6%. Secondary FSGS was the most common FSGS in grafts in our study. Incidence of recurrent FSGS may not be accurate as pretransplant biopsy is available in very few cases.

Feeding, body weight, and sensitivity to non-ingestive reward stimuli during and after 12-day continuous central infusions of melanocortin receptor ligands

The brain melanocortin system mediates downstream effects of hypothalamic leptin and insulin signaling. Yet, there have been few studies of chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) melanocortin receptor (MCR) agonist or antagonist infusion. Although there is evidence of interaction between melanocortin and dopamine (DA) systems, effects of chronic MCR ligand infusion on behavioral sensitivity to non-ingestive reward stimuli have not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of chronic i.c.v. infusion of the MCR agonist, MTII, and the MCR antagonist, SHU9119, on food intake, body weight, and sensitivity to rewarding lateral hypothalamic electrical stimulation (LHSS) and the reward-potentiating (i.e., threshold-lowering) effect of D-amphetamine. The MCR antagonist, SHU9119 (0.02 microg/h) produced sustained hyperphagia and weight gain during the 12-day infusion period, followed by compensatory hypophagia and an arrest of body weight gain during the 24-day post-infusion period. At no point during the experiment was sensitivity to LHSS or D-amphetamine (0.25mg/kg, i.p.) altered. The MCR agonist, MTII (0.02 microg/h) produced a brief hypophagia (3 days) followed by a return to control levels of daily intake, but with body weight remaining at a reduced level throughout the 12-day infusion period. This was followed by compensatory hyperphagia and weight gain during the 24-day post-infusion period. There was no change in sensitivity to non-ingestive reward stimuli during the infusion of MTII. However, sensitivity to D-amphetamine was increased during the 24-day post-infusion period. It therefore seems that changes in ingestive behavior that occur during chronic MCR ligand infusion may not affect the response to non-ingestive reward stimuli. However, it is possible that the drive to re-feed and restore body weight following MCR agonist treatment includes neuroadaptations that enhance the incentive effects of drug stimuli.