Safe and effective dosage combination of purple sweet potato extract and red fruit oil extract as antioxidant and hypolipidemic in rats given high cholesterol feed
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted not only our physical health, but also our mental wellbeing, leaving long-lasting scars that time might heal.Antidepressants are known to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression by modulating specific neurotransmitters that are associated with these conditions, which aid in communication between brain cells, and each antidepressant acts on these neurotransmitters in slightly different ways, making them a popular treatment choice.We describe in this prospective longitudinal observational study ten COVID-19-positive cases with severe disease symptoms and post-infection mental scars, who were prescribed fluoxetine and paroxetine.These treated cases experienced a progressive reduction of illness severity and anxiety upheaval surrounding this pandemic, which may involve the negative action of stress on COVID-19 patients and the positive action of antidepressants against the viral disease.Effective treatments of COVID-19, especially those that are easy to use, show good tolerability, and have widespread availability at low cost, with their less bothersome effects and non-addictive properties should be widely studied.
The purpose of this study is to identify the cholinergic receptor subtype that mediates the peripheral antinociceptive effect of acetylcholine.To induce hyperalgesia, rat paws were treated with intraplantar prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 , 2 μg).The nociceptive thresholds to pressure (grams) were measured by paw flexion reaction using an algesimeter apparatus 3 h following injection.Intraplantar administration of acetylcholine (ACh; 50, 100, 200 and 400 μg) caused dose-dependent antinociception in PGE 2induced hyperalgesia.The subtype-selective muscarinic receptor antagonists for M 1 (telenzepine; 3, 6 and 12 μg), M 2 (dimethindene; 40 and 80 μg), M 3 (4-DAMP, 40 and 80 μg), and M 4 (tropicamide; 40 and 80 μg) as well as the nicotinic antagonist (mecamylamine; 25, 50 and 100 μg) were all co-administered with acetylcholine (200 μg).Only telenzepine and mecamylamine antagonized the antinociceptive effect of ACh.These data suggest the presence of M 1 and nicotinic cholinergic receptors at the peripheral level and that exogenous acetylcholine induces receptor activation with consequent antinociception.
Loads of medications and vaccines are under investigation to prevent and heal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is putting a strain on healthcare systems worldwide. Among them, therapy with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nAbs) seems to be very promising in halting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for the illness and in providing the patients with passive immunity. NAbs are designed to mimic the body’s natural immune response. Coronavirus infection is mediated by the interplay between the viral spike and the tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) receptor found on the apical surface of numerous cell types. However, nAbs are capable of blocking this interaction. They bind to the spike protein, thus impeding SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells and tagging it for destruction. NAbs can be crucial in preventing COVID-19 from progressing to a severe form, and potentially are a prophylaxis option to subjects who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, while still waiting to get a vaccine. This mini review provides the readers with an overview about what is already known and what is new about the use of these agents. © 2021, Research Trends (P) LTD.. All rights reserved.
The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial disorder and complex. Previous studies have shown that Cleistocalyx operculatus Roxb. Merr. et Perry and Morus alba L. have anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to evaluate the effects of combined Cleistocalyx operculatus Roxb. Merr. et Perry and Morus alba L. ( CM ) extracts on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis in mice. The combined Cleistocalyx operculatus Roxb. Merr. et Perry and Morus alba L. leaves were extracted with 50% ethanol and then suspended in water and partitioned successively with ether and ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extract was combined and evaporated to obtain CM extract. Mice were induced colitis, by using DSS for seven days. Mice were treated with combined CM extracts at doses of 150 mg/kg/b.w. and 300 mg/kg/b.w. Throughout the experiment, the disease activity index (DAI) was evaluated. Following the last day of treatment, blood samples were collected for analysis of IL-1 β , INF- γ and TNF- α by using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The CM extract significantly decreased the disease activity index and myeloperoxidase activity in the CM extract-treated mice as compared with DSS group mice. The combined CM extracts also suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory IL-1 β , INF- γ and TNF- α in colon tissues of the CM extract-treated mice as compared with DSS group (p < 0.05). Our results showed that the combined CM extract has strong beneficial effects on colitis and could be used for the treatment of IBD.
