butylidenephthalide and Disease-Models--Animal

mHealth interventions often favour individual-level effects. This is particularly problematic in contexts where social support and shifts in social norms are critical to sustained behaviour change. Mobile digital games represent a promising health education strategy for youth, including in low-resource settings. We sought to better understand the interpersonal and social interactions that can be elicited by digital games for health.. This study took place in Kisumu, Kenya, in Spring 2017.. Descriptive statistics were computed from survey responses and log files. Focus group transcripts were labelled, analysed thematically, and compared demographically using MaxQDA software.. Data from log files, survey and focus groups indicate that the game generated considerable interaction and dialogue with parents, siblings, and friends, and served as a catalyst for children to act as advocates for healthful decisions about sex, both within the family and beyond. The game showed a high level of acceptability with parents.. Serious digital games using a smartphone platform can generate considerable household interaction. Games can model and facilitate these exchanges, maximising multi-level effects. An additional app for parents could reinforce these effects.. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00024-021-02793-0.. OPCAB is a safe and effective revascularization strategy in patients with stage 2 and stage 3 CKD. Short-term outcomes of OPCAB have been good in the patient population in this study, in terms of both surgical morbidity and mortality. Surgical mortality was 1.9%. New-onset atrial fibrillation was found in eleven patients (9.6%) in the stage 2 CKD group and 42 patients (21%) in the stage 3 CKD group (. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01021-2.. Although BMD was not significantly different between subjects with MND-ALS and healthy controls, BTMs were significantly higher in the MND group indicating a high bone turnover state. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were also more in MND-ALS group than controls. Routine assessment for bone health parameters and body composition indices may be included in management of the patients with MND.. The aqueous extract of. Grapefruit peel extracts and their AgNPs exhibit antibacterial properties that can be exploited for the synthesis of new antimicrobials and their EEs may be efficiently used synergistically with other antibiotics against bacteria with intermediate susceptibility.. The nonconventional feeds have moderate protein and reduced fiber contents, and thus, they can be utilized as supplement for poor-quality feeds. These feeds need further investigation using animals to substantiate the current study.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulances; Animal Feed; Animals; Apoptosis; Bilirubin; Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Blood Transfusion; Brain; Brain-Gut Axis; Breast Neoplasms; Candida albicans; Candidemia; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Cardiovascular Diseases; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Chemokine CXCL12; Chemotaxis; China; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Cohort Studies; COVID-19; Croatia; Cross-Over Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Bonding; Dentin; Digestion; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Down-Regulation; Doxorubicin; Drug Combinations; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Synergism; Dry Eye Syndromes; Electrocardiography; Emergency Medical Technicians; Ergonomics; Ethiopia; Exercise Tolerance; Fatigue; Feasibility Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Germany; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Hepatectomy; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hypothermia, Induced; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Infusions, Intravenous; Jugular Veins; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Kidney Transplantation; Lipoproteins; Liposomes; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Liver Regeneration; Male; Manikins; Masks; Mass Screening; Metabolic Syndrome; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Middle Aged; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest; Phthalic Anhydrides; Plant Extracts; Police; Polyethylene Glycols; Polyethyleneimine; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Care; Prevalence; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyrazoles; Pyridines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, CXCR4; Resuscitation; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Saline Solution; Salmonella; Salmonella Vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; Sedentary Behavior; Sex Factors; Shock, Hemorrhagic; Simulation Training; Sports; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Stretchers; Support Vector Machine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tannins; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Treatment Outcome; Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein; Waist Circumference; Young Adult

mHealth interventions often favour individual-level effects. This is particularly problematic in contexts where social support and shifts in social norms are critical to sustained behaviour change. Mobile digital games represent a promising health education strategy for youth, including in low-resource settings. We sought to better understand the interpersonal and social interactions that can be elicited by digital games for health.. This study took place in Kisumu, Kenya, in Spring 2017.. Descriptive statistics were computed from survey responses and log files. Focus group transcripts were labelled, analysed thematically, and compared demographically using MaxQDA software.. Data from log files, survey and focus groups indicate that the game generated considerable interaction and dialogue with parents, siblings, and friends, and served as a catalyst for children to act as advocates for healthful decisions about sex, both within the family and beyond. The game showed a high level of acceptability with parents.. Serious digital games using a smartphone platform can generate considerable household interaction. Games can model and facilitate these exchanges, maximising multi-level effects. An additional app for parents could reinforce these effects.. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00024-021-02793-0.. OPCAB is a safe and effective revascularization strategy in patients with stage 2 and stage 3 CKD. Short-term outcomes of OPCAB have been good in the patient population in this study, in terms of both surgical morbidity and mortality. Surgical mortality was 1.9%. New-onset atrial fibrillation was found in eleven patients (9.6%) in the stage 2 CKD group and 42 patients (21%) in the stage 3 CKD group (. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01021-2.. Although BMD was not significantly different between subjects with MND-ALS and healthy controls, BTMs were significantly higher in the MND group indicating a high bone turnover state. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were also more in MND-ALS group than controls. Routine assessment for bone health parameters and body composition indices may be included in management of the patients with MND.. The aqueous extract of. Grapefruit peel extracts and their AgNPs exhibit antibacterial properties that can be exploited for the synthesis of new antimicrobials and their EEs may be efficiently used synergistically with other antibiotics against bacteria with intermediate susceptibility.. The nonconventional feeds have moderate protein and reduced fiber contents, and thus, they can be utilized as supplement for poor-quality feeds. These feeds need further investigation using animals to substantiate the current study.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulances; Animal Feed; Animals; Apoptosis; Bilirubin; Biomarkers; Blood Pressure; Blood Transfusion; Brain; Brain-Gut Axis; Breast Neoplasms; Candida albicans; Candidemia; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Carcinoma, Medullary; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Cardiovascular Diseases; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Chemokine CXCL12; Chemotaxis; China; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Cohort Studies; COVID-19; Croatia; Cross-Over Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Bonding; Dentin; Digestion; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Down-Regulation; Doxorubicin; Drug Combinations; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Synergism; Dry Eye Syndromes; Electrocardiography; Emergency Medical Technicians; Ergonomics; Ethiopia; Exercise Tolerance; Fatigue; Feasibility Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Germany; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Hepatectomy; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hypothermia, Induced; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Infusions, Intravenous; Jugular Veins; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Kidney Transplantation; Lipoproteins; Liposomes; Liver; Liver Neoplasms; Liver Regeneration; Male; Manikins; Masks; Mass Screening; Metabolic Syndrome; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Middle Aged; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest; Phthalic Anhydrides; Plant Extracts; Police; Polyethylene Glycols; Polyethyleneimine; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Care; Prevalence; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; Pyrazoles; Pyridines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, CXCR4; Resuscitation; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Saline Solution; Salmonella; Salmonella Vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; Sedentary Behavior; Sex Factors; Shock, Hemorrhagic; Simulation Training; Sports; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Stretchers; Support Vector Machine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tannins; Thyroid Neoplasms; Time Factors; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Treatment Outcome; Tuberous Sclerosis Complex 1 Protein; Waist Circumference; Young Adult

Clinically, acute ischemic symptoms in the eyes are one of the main causes of vision loss, with the associated inflammatory response and oxidative stress being the key factors that cause injury. Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common type of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION); however, there are still no effective or safe treatment options to date. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of n-butylidenephthalide (BP) treatment in an experimental NAION rodent model (rAION). BP (10 mg/kg) or PBS (control group) were administered on seven consecutive days in the rAION model. Rats were evaluated for visual function by flash visual evoked potentials (FVEPs) at 4 weeks after NAION induction. The retina and optic nerve were removed for histological examination after the rats were euthanized. The molecular machinery of BP treatment in the rAION model was analyzed using Western blotting. We discovered that BP effectively improves retinal ganglion cell survival rates by preventing apoptotic processes after AION induction and reducing the inflammatory response through which blood-borne macrophages infiltrate the optic nerve. In addition, BP significantly preserved the integrity of the myelin sheath in the rAION model, demonstrating that BP can prevent the development of demyelination. Our immunoblotting results revealed the molecular mechanism through which BP mitigates the neuroinflammatory response through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BP can be used as an exceptional neuroprotective agent for ischemic injury.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Disease Models, Animal; Evoked Potentials, Visual; Inflammation; Ischemia; Macrophages; Male; Neuroprotective Agents; Optic Nerve; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic; Phthalic Anhydrides; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Retina; Retinal Ganglion Cells

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is characterized by the repetition of a CAG codon in the ataxin-3 gene (ATXN3), which leads to the formation of an elongated mutant ATXN3 protein that can neither be denatured nor undergo proteolysis in the normal manner. This abnormal proteolysis leads to the accumulation of cleaved fragments, which have been identified as toxic and further they act as a seed for more aggregate formation, thereby increasing toxicity in neuronal cells. To date, there have been few studies or treatment strategies that have focused on controlling toxic fragment formation. The aim of this study is to develop a potential treatment strategy for addressing the complications of toxic fragment formation and to provide an alternative treatment strategy for SCA3. Our preliminary data on anti-aggregation and toxic fragment formation using an HEK (human embryonic kidney cells) 293T-84Q-eGFP (green fluorescent protein) cell model identified n-butylidenephthalide (n-BP) as a potential drug treatment for SCA3. n-BP decreased toxic fragment formation in both SCA3 cell and animal models. Moreover, results showed that n-BP can improve gait, motor coordination, and activity in SCA3 mice. To comprehend the molecular basis behind the control of toxic fragment formation, we used microarray analysis to identify tryptophan metabolism as a major player in controlling the fate of mutant ATXN3 aggregates. We also demonstrated that n-BP functions by regulating the early part of the kynurenine pathway through the downregulation of tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase (TDO2), which decreases the downstream neurotoxic product, quinolinic acid (QA). In addition, through the control of TDO2, n-BP also decreases active calpain levels, an important enzyme involved in the proteolysis of mutant ATXN3, thereby decreasing toxic fragment formation and associated neurotoxicity. Collectively, these findings indicate a correlation between n-BP, TDO2, QA, calpain, and toxic fragment formation. Thus, this study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular interactions involved in SCA3, and provides a novel potential treatment strategy for this neurodegenerative disease.

Topics: Animals; Ataxin-3; Calcium; Calpain; Cerebellum; Disease Models, Animal; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Machado-Joseph Disease; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Motor Activity; Neuroprotective Agents; Phthalic Anhydrides; Quinolinic Acid; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; Tryptophan; Tryptophan Oxygenase

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of n-butylidenephthalide (BP) in SOD1. Although BP treatment did not delay the disease onset, it prolonged the life span and thereafter extended the disease duration in SOD1. Our study suggests that BP may be a promising candidate for the treatment of ALS.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cell Survival; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Hindlimb; Humans; Mice, Transgenic; Motor Activity; Motor Neurons; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Neuroimmunomodulation; Neuroprotective Agents; Phthalic Anhydrides; Random Allocation; Spinal Cord; Superoxide Dismutase-1

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a common pathology in age-related macular degeneration. In this study, we evaluated in a rat model the effect of an extract of Cinidium officinale Makino and its bioactive compound, butylidenephthalide, on laser-induced CNV. Experimental CNV was induced in Long-Evans rats by laser photocoagulation. C. officinale extract (COE) and butylidenephthalide was intraperitoneally injected once per day for ten days after laser photocoagulation. Choroidal flat mounts were prepared to measure CNV areas and macrophage infiltration. We used a protein array to evaluate the expression levels of angiogenic factors. The CNV area and macrophage infiltration in COE-treated rats were significantly lower than in vehicle-treated rats. COE decreased the expression levels of IGFBP-1, MCP-1, PAI-1, and VEGF. Additionally, butylidenephthalide also inhibited the laser-induced CNV formation and macrophage infiltration and down-regulated the expression of IGFBP-1, MCP-1 and VEGF. These results suggest that COE exerts anti-angiogenic effects on laser-induced CNV by inhibiting the expression of IGFBP-1, MCP-1, and VEGF, indicating that anti-angiogenic activities of COE may be in part due to its bioactive compound, butylidenephthalide.

Topics: Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Animals; Chemokine CCL2; Choroidal Neovascularization; Disease Models, Animal; Gene Expression Regulation; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; Lasers; Macrophages; Phthalic Anhydrides; Plant Extracts; Rats; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that impairs motor skills and cognitive function. To date, the disease has no effective therapies. The identification of new drugs that provide benefit in arresting the decline seen in PD patients is the focus of much recent study. However, the lengthy time frame for the progression of neurodegeneration in PD increases both the time and cost of examining potential therapeutic compounds in mammalian models. An alternative is to first evaluate the efficacy of compounds in Caenorhabditis elegans models, which reduces examination time from months to days. n-Butylidenephthalide is the naturally-occurring component derived from the chloroform extract of Angelica sinensis. It has been shown to have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties, but no reports have yet described the effects of n-butylidenephthalide on PD. The aim of this study was to assess the potential for n-butylidenephthalide to improve PD in C. elegans models.. In the current study, we employed a pharmacological strain that expresses green fluorescent protein specifically in dopaminergic neurons (BZ555) and a transgenic strain that expresses human α-synuclein in muscle cells (OW13) to investigate the antiparkinsonian activities of n-butylidenephthalide. Our results demonstrate that in PD animal models, n-butylidenephthalide significantly attenuates dopaminergic neuron degeneration induced by 6-hydroxydopamine; reduces α-synuclein accumulation; recovers lipid content, food-sensing behavior, and dopamine levels; and prolongs life-span of 6-hydroxydopamine treatment, thus revealing its potential as a possible antiparkinsonian drug. n-Butylidenephthalide may exert its effects by blocking egl-1 expression to inhibit apoptosis pathways and by raising rpn-6 expression to enhance the activity of proteasomes.. n-Butylidenephthalide may be one of the effective neuroprotective agents for PD.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Angelica sinensis; Animals; Antiparkinson Agents; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine; Dopaminergic Neurons; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Longevity; Muscle Cells; Oxidopamine; Parkinson Disease; Phthalic Anhydrides; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Repressor Proteins; Transgenes