Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 81 in total

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  1. Chong YJ, Musa NF, Ng CH, Shaari K, Israf DA, Tham CL
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2016 Nov 04;192:248-255.
    PMID: 27404229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.07.032
    PHARMOCOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranyl acetophenone (tHGA), is a phloroglucinol compound found naturally in Melicope ptelefolia. Melicope ptelefolia has been used traditionally for centuries as natural remedy for wound infections and inflammatory diseases.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: Endothelial barrier dysfunction is a pathological hallmark of many diseases and can be caused by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulation. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible barrier protective effects of tHGA upon LPS-stimulated inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: HUVECs were pretreated with tHGA prior to LPS stimulation, where inflammatory parameters including permeability, monocyte adhesion and migration, and release of pro-inflammatory mediators were examined. Additionally, the effect of tHGA on F-actin rearrangement and adhesion protein expression of LPS-stimulated HUVECs was evaluated.

    RESULTS: It was found that pretreatment with tHGA inhibited monocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration, reduced endothelial hyperpermeability and secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Additionally, tHGA inhibited cytoskeletal rearrangement and adhesion protein expression on LPS-stimulated HUVECs.

    CONCLUSION: As the regulation of endothelial barrier dysfunction can be one of the therapeutic strategies to improve the outcome of inflammation, tHGA may be able to preserve vascular barrier integrity of endothelial cells following LPS-stimulated dysfunction, thereby endorsing its potential usefulness in vascular inflammatory diseases.

  2. Sim TY, Harith HH, Tham CL, Md Hashim NF, Shaari K, Sulaiman MR, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Jun 05;23(6).
    PMID: 29874809 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23061355
    Alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction contributes to lung edema and can lead to acute lung injury (ALI). The features include increased epithelial permeability, upregulation of inflammatory mediators and downregulation of junctional complex molecules; these changes are often induced by inflammation. tHGA is an acetophenone analogue with therapeutic potential in asthma. Its therapeutic potential in ALI is presently unknown. Herein, the effects of tHGA on epithelial barrier dysfunction were determined in TNF-α-induced human alveolar epithelial cells. The anti-inflammatory properties of tHGA were assessed by monocyte adhesion assay and analysis of MCP-1 and ICAM-1 expression. The epithelial barrier function was assessed by paracellular permeability and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assays, and analysis of junctional complex molecules expression. To elucidate the mechanism of action, the effects of tHGA on the NF-κB and MAPK pathways were determined. Gene and protein expression were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting or ELISA, respectively. tHGA suppressed leukocyte adhesion to TNF-α-induced epithelium and reduced MCP-1 and ICAM-1 gene expression and secretion. tHGA also increased TEER readings, reduced epithelial permeability and enhanced expression of junctional complex molecules (zona occludens-1, occludin and E-cadherin) in TNF-α-induced cells. Correspondingly, the NF-κB, ERK and p38 MAPK pathways were also inhibited by tHGA. These findings suggest that tHGA is able to preserve alveolar epithelial barrier function in response to acute inflammation, via its anti-inflammatory activity and stabilization of epithelial barrier integrity, mediated by NF-κB, ERK and p38 MAPK signaling.
  3. Yap HM, Lee YZ, Harith HH, Tham CL, Cheema MS, Shaari K, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2018 11 09;8(1):16640.
    PMID: 30413753 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34847-0
    Increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass is a prominent hallmark of airway remodeling in asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists remain the mainstay of asthma therapy, however are not curative and ineffective in attenuating airway remodeling. The geranyl acetophenone 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranyl acetophenone (tHGA), an in-house synthetic non-steroidal compound, attenuates airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling in murine models of asthma. The effect of tHGA upon human ASM proliferation, migration and survival in response to growth factors was assessed and its molecular target was determined. Following serum starvation and induction with growth factors, proliferation and migration of human bronchial smooth muscle cells (hBSMCs) treated with tHGA were significantly inhibited without any significant effects upon cell survival. tHGA caused arrest of hBSMC proliferation at the G1 phase of the cell cycle with downregulation of cell cycle proteins, cyclin D1 and diminished degradation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI), p27Kip1. The inhibitory effect of tHGA was demonstrated to be related to its direct inhibition of AKT phosphorylation, as well as inhibition of JNK and STAT3 signal transduction. Our findings highlight the anti-remodeling potential of this drug lead in chronic airway disease.
  4. Yap HM, Israf DA, Harith HH, Tham CL, Sulaiman MR
    Front Pharmacol, 2019;10:1148.
    PMID: 31649532 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01148
    Increased ASM mass, primarily due to ASM hyperplasia, has been recognized as a hallmark of airway remodeling in asthma. Increased ASM mass is the major contributor to the airway narrowing, thus worsening the bronchoconstriction in response to stimuli. Inflammatory mediators and growth factors released during inflammation induce increased ASM mass surrounding airway wall via increased ASM proliferation, diminished ASM apoptosis and increased ASM migration. Several major pathways, such as MAPKs, PI3K/AKT, JAK2/STAT3 and Rho kinase, have been reported to regulate these cellular activities in ASM and were reported to be interrelated at certain points. This article aims to provide an overview of the signaling pathways/molecules involved in ASM hyperplasia as well as the mapping of the interplay/crosstalk between these major pathways in mediating ASM hyperplasia. A more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of cellular signaling in ASM cells will enable more specific and safer drug development in the control of asthma.
  5. Rohhimi W, Tan JW, Liew KY, Jacquet A, Harith HH, Israf DA, et al.
    PMID: 34694946 DOI: 10.1080/08923973.2021.1992633
    CONTEXT: The airway epithelial barrier can be disrupted by house dust mite (HDM) allergens leading to allergic airway inflammation. Zerumbone, a natural monocyclic sesquiterpene, was previously found to possess anti-asthmatic effect by modulating Th1/Th2 cytokines. However, the protective role of zerumbone on epithelial barrier function remains to be fully explored.

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zerumbone on HDM extract-induced airway epithelial barrier dysfunction.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human bronchial epithelial cells 16HBE14o- were incubated with 100 μg/mL HDM extract and treated with non-cytotoxic concentrations of zerumbone (6.25 μM, 12.5 μM, and 25 μM) for 24 h. The epithelial junctional integrity and permeability were evaluated through transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC)-Dextran permeability assays, respectively. The localization of junctional proteins, occludin and zona occludens (ZO)-1, was studied using immunofluorescence (IF) while the protein expression was measured by western blot.

    RESULTS: Zerumbone inhibited changes in junctional integrity (6.25 μM, p ≤ .05; 12.5 μM, p ≤ .001; 25 μM, p ≤ .001) and permeability (6.25 μM, p ≤ .05; 12.5 μM, p ≤ .01; 25 μM, p ≤ .001) triggered by HDM extract in a concentration-dependent manner. This protective effect could be explained by the preservation of occludin (12.5 μM, p ≤ .01 and 25 μM, p ≤ .001) and ZO-1 (12.5 μM, p ≤ .05 and 25 μM, p ≤ .001) localization, rather than the prevention of their cleavage.

    DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Zerumbone attenuates HDM extract-induced epithelial barrier dysfunction which supports its potential application for the treatment of inflammation-driven airway diseases such as asthma.

  6. Tan JW, Tham CL, Israf DA, Lee SH, Kim MK
    Neurochem Res, 2013 Mar;38(3):512-8.
    PMID: 23224778 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0943-6
    L-Glutamate plays a crucial role in neuronal cell death, which is known to be associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of biochanin A, a phytoestrogen compound found mainly in Trifolium pratense, against L-glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in a PC12 cell line. Exposure of the cells to 10 mM L-glutamate was found to significantly increase cell viability loss and apoptosis, whereas pretreatment with various concentrations of biochanin A attenuated the cytotoxic effects of L-glutamate. Specifically, the pretreatment led to not only decreases in the release of lactate dehydrogenase, the number of apoptotic cells, and the activity of caspase-3 but also an increase in the total glutathione level in the L-glutamate-treated PC12 cells. These results indicate that biochanin A may be able to exert neuroprotective effects against L-glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, our findings also imply that biochanin A may act as an antiapoptotic agent in order to perform its protective function.
  7. Al-Haddawi MH, Jasni S, Israf DA, Zamri-Saad M, Mutalib AR, Sheikh-Omar AR
    Res Vet Sci, 2001 Jun;70(3):191-7.
    PMID: 11676614
    Sixteen 8- to 9-week-old Pasteurella multocida-free New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two equal groups. The first group was inoculated intranasally with P multocida serotype D:1 strain and the second group that was inoculated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) only was used as a control group. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from the nasal cavity of all infected rabbits in group 1 and from tracheal swabs of seven rabbits in this group. Four rabbits in group 1 died with clinical signs of septicaemia, two rabbits had mucopurulent nasal discharge and pneumonic lesions and the other two did not show any clinical signs or gross lesions. The ultrastructural changes detected were deciliation or clumping of cilia of ciliated epithelium, cellular swelling, vacuolation and sloughing. The subepithelial capillaries showed congestion, intravascular fibrin deposition, platelets aggregation and endothelial injury. Pasteurella multocida was observed attached to the injured endothelial cells. Heterophils, mast cells, vacuolated monocytes and macrophages infiltrated the lamina propria and between the degenerated epithelial cells.
  8. Ong CH, Tham CL, Harith HH, Firdaus N, Israf DA
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2021 Nov 15;911:174510.
    PMID: 34560077 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174510
    Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) plays multiple homeostatic roles in the regulation of inflammation, proliferation, differentiation and would healing of various tissues. Many studies have demonstrated that TGF-β stimulates activation and proliferation of fibroblasts, which result in extracellular matrix deposition. Its increased expression can result in many fibrotic diseases, and the level of expression is often correlated with disease severity. On this basis, inhibition of TGF-β and its activity has great therapeutic potential for the treatment of various fibrotic diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis, systemic sclerosis and etc. By understanding the molecular mechanism of TGF-β signaling and activity, researchers were able to develop different strategies in order to modulate the activity of TGF-β. Antisense oligonucleotide was developed to target the mRNA of TGF-β to inhibit its expression. There are also neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that can target the TGF-β ligands or αvβ6 integrin to prevent binding to receptor or activation of latent TGF-β respectively. Soluble TGF-β receptors act as ligand traps that competitively bind to the TGF-β ligands. Many small molecule inhibitors have been developed to inhibit the TGF-β receptor at its cytoplasmic domain and also intracellular signaling molecules. Peptide aptamer technology has been used to target downstream TGF-β signaling. Here, we summarize the underlying mechanism of TGF-β-induced fibrosis and also review various strategies of inhibiting TGF-β in both preclinical and clinical studies.
  9. Lee YZ, Yap HM, Shaari K, Tham CL, Sulaiman MR, Israf DA
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:837.
    PMID: 29201006 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00837
    Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is currently recognized as the main cellular event that contributes to airway remodeling. Eosinophils can induce EMT in airway epithelial cells via increased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β production. We assessed the effect of synthetic 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranyl acetophenone (tHGA) upon eosinophil-induced EMT in a cellular model. The human eosinophil cell line EoL-1 was used to induce EMT in BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells. The induction of EMT was dose-dependently suppressed following tHGA treatment in which the epithelial morphology and E-cadherin expression were not altered. Protein and mRNA expression of vimentin, collagen I and fibronectin in eosinophil-induced epithelial cells were also significantly suppressed by tHGA treatment. Following pathway analysis, we showed that tHGA suppressed eosinophil-induced activator protein-1-mediated TGF-β production by targeting c-Jun N-terminal kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathways. These findings corroborated previous findings on the ability of tHGA to inhibit experimental murine airway remodeling.
  10. Lee YZ, Shaari K, Cheema MS, Tham CL, Sulaiman MR, Israf DA
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2017 Feb 15;797:53-64.
    PMID: 28089919 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.01.011
    2,4,6-Trihydroxy-3-geranyl acetophenone (tHGA) is a synthetic compound that is naturally found in Melicope ptelefolia. We had previously demonstrated that parenteral administration of tHGA reduces pulmonary inflammation in OVA-sensitized mice. In this study, we evaluated the effect of orally administered tHGA upon airway remodeling in a murine model of chronic asthma. Female BALB/C mice were sensitized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin (OVA) on day 0, 7 and 14, followed by aerosolized 1% OVA 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Control groups were sensitized with saline. OVA sensitized animals were either treated orally with vehicle (saline with 1% DMSO and Tween 80), tHGA (80, 40, 20mg/kg) or zileuton (30mg/kg) 1h prior to each aerosolized OVA sensitization. On day 61, mice underwent methacholine challenge to determine airway hyperresponsiveness prior to collection of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung samples. BAL fluid inflammatory cell counts and cytokine concentrations were evaluated while histological analysis and extracellular matrix protein concentrations were determined on collected lung samples. Oral tHGA treatment attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness and inhibited airway remodeling in a dose-dependent fashion. tHGA's effect on airway remodeling could be attributed to the reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration and decreased expression of cytokines associated with airway remodeling. Oral administration of tHGA attenuates airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling in OVA-induced BALB/c mice. tHGA is an interesting compound that should be evaluated further for its possible role as an alternative non-steroidal pharmacological approach in the management of asthma.
  11. Tan JW, Israf DA, Harith HH, Md Hashim NF, Ng CH, Shaari K, et al.
    Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 2017 03 15;319:47-58.
    PMID: 28167223 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.02.002
    tHGA, a geranyl acetophenone compound originally isolated from a local shrub called Melicope ptelefolia, has been previously reported to prevent ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma by targeting cysteinyl leukotriene synthesis. Mast cells are immune effector cells involved in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases including asthma by releasing cysteinyl leukotrienes. The anti-asthmatic properties of tHGA could be attributed to its inhibitory effect on mast cell degranulation. As mast cell degranulation is an important event in allergic responses, this study aimed to investigate the anti-allergic effects of tHGA in cellular and animal models of IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation. For in vitro model of IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation, DNP-IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells were pre-treated with tHGA before challenged with DNP-BSA to induce degranulation. For IgE-mediated passive systemic anaphylaxis, Sprague Dawley rats were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of DNP-IgE before challenged with DNP-BSA. Both in vitro and in vivo models showed that tHGA significantly inhibited the release of preformed mediators (β-hexosaminidase and histamine) as well as de novo mediators (interleukin-4, tumour necrosis factor-α, prostaglandin D2 and leukotriene C4). Pre-treatment of tHGA also prevented IgE-challenged RBL-2H3 cells and peritoneal mast cells from undergoing morphological changes associated with mast cell degranulation. These findings indicate that tHGA possesses potent anti-allergic activity via attenuation of IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation and inhibition of IgE-mediated passive systemic anaphylaxis. Thus, tHGA may have the potential to be developed as a mast cell stabilizer for the treatment of allergic diseases in the future.
  12. Harun SNA, Israf DA, Tham CL, Lam KW, Cheema MS, Md Hashim NF
    Molecules, 2018 Apr 10;23(4).
    PMID: 29642589 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23040865
    In order to metastasize, tumor cells need to migrate and invade the surrounding tissues. It is important to identify compound(s) capable of disrupting the metastasis of invasive cancer cells, especially for hindering invadopodia formation, so as to provide anti-metastasis targeted therapy. Invadopodia are thought to be specialized actin-rich protrusions formed by highly invasive cancer cells to degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM). A curcuminoid analogue known as 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidine)cyclohexanone or BHMC has shown good potential in inhibiting inflammation and hyperalgesia. It also possesses an anti-tumor effects on 4T1 murine breast cancer cells in vivo. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence on how BHMC works in preventing human breast cancer invasion. In this study, we investigated the effect of BHMC on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and its underlying mechanism of action to prevent breast cancer invasion, especially during the formation of invadopodia. All MDA-MB-231 cells, which were exposed to the non-cytotoxic concentrations of BHMC, expressed the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which indicate that the anti-proliferative effects of BHMC did not interfere in the subsequent experiments. By using a scratch migration assay, transwell migration and invasion assays, we determined that BHMC reduces the percentage of migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. The gelatin degradation assay showed that BHMC reduced the number of cells with invadopodia. Analysis of the proteins involved in the invasion showed that there is a significant reduction in the expressions of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 7 (β-PIX), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in the presence of BHMC treatment at 12.5 µM. Therefore, it can be postulated that BHMC at 12.5 µM is the optimal concentration for preventing breast cancer invasion.
  13. Zakaria ZA, Mohamad AS, Chear CT, Wong YY, Israf DA, Sulaiman MR
    Med Princ Pract, 2010;19(4):287-94.
    PMID: 20516705 DOI: 10.1159/000312715
    OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out to determine the antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of a methanol extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizomes (MEZZ) using various experimental model systems.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MEZZ was prepared by macerating oven-dried (50 degrees C) powdered rhizomes (1.2 kg) of Z. zerumbet in 80% methanol in a ratio of 1:20 (w/v) for 48 h. The supernatant was collected, filtered and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure (50 degrees C) yielding approximately 21.0 g of the crude dried extract. The crude dried extract was stored at -20 degrees C prior to use and was dissolved in normal saline (0.9% NaCl) immediately before administration at concentrations required to produce doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg.

    RESULTS: All dosages of MEZZ showed significant (p < 0.05) antiedema activity when assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema test and the cotton-pellet-induced granuloma test. The MEZZ exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antinociceptive activity when assessed by the writhing, hot plate and formalin tests. Pretreatment with naloxone (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the latency of discomfort produced by the 100 mg/kg dose of MEZZ in the hot plate test.

    CONCLUSION: MEZZ produced antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities which may involve the inhibition of bradykinin-, prostaglandin-, histamine- and opioid-mediated processes.

  14. Liew KY, Hafiz MF, Chong YJ, Harith HH, Israf DA, Tham CL
    PMID: 33193799 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8257817
    Sepsis refers to organ failure due to uncontrolled body immune responses towards infection. The systemic inflammatory response triggered by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, is accompanied by the release of various proinflammatory mediators that can lead to organ damage. The progression to septic shock is even more life-threatening due to hypotension. Thus, sepsis is a leading cause of death and morbidity globally. However, current therapies are mainly symptomatic treatment and rely on the use of antibiotics. The lack of a specific treatment demands exploration of new drugs. Malaysian herbal plants have a long history of usage for medicinal purposes. A total of 64 Malaysian plants commonly used in the herbal industry have been published in Malaysian Herbal Monograph 2015 and Globinmed website (http://www.globinmed.com/). An extensive bibliographic search in databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus revealed that seven of these plants have antisepsis properties, as evidenced by the therapeutic effect of their extracts or isolated compounds against sepsis-associated inflammatory responses or conditions in in vitro or/and in vivo studies. These include Andrographis paniculata, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Piper nigrum, Syzygium aromaticum, Momordica charantia, and Centella asiatica. Among these, Z. officinale is the most widely studied plant and seems to have the highest potential for future therapeutic applications in sepsis. Although both extracts as well as active constituents from these herbal plants have demonstrated potential antisepsis activity, the activity might be primarily contributed by the active constituent(s) from each of these plants, which are andrographolide (A. paniculata), 6-gingerol and zingerone (Z. officinale), curcumin (C. longa), piperine and pellitorine (P. nigrum), biflorin (S. aromaticum), and asiaticoside, asiatic acid, and madecassoside (C. asiatica). These active constituents have shown great antisepsis effects, and further investigations into their clinical therapeutic potential may be worthwhile.
  15. Kamaldin MN, Akhtar MN, Mohamad AS, Lajis N, Perimal EK, Akira A, et al.
    Molecules, 2013 Apr 10;18(4):4209-20.
    PMID: 23612473 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18044209
    Previous studies have shown that systemic administration of 6'-hydroxy-2',4'-dimethoxychalcone (flavokawin B, FKB) exerts significant peripheral and central antinociceptive effects in laboratory animals. However, the mechanisms underlying these peripheral and central antinociceptive effects have yet to be elucidated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the participation of nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/potassium (K+) channels pathway in the peripheral antinociception induced by FKB. It was demonstrated that intraplantar (i.pl.) administration of FKB (150, 250, 375 and 500 µg/paw) resulted in dose-dependent peripheral antinociception against mechanical hyperalgesia in carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia test model in rats. The possibility of FKB having either a central or a systemic effect was excluded since administration of FKB into the right paw did not elicit antinociception in the contralateral paw. Furthermore, peripheral antinociception induced by FKB (500 µg/paw) was significantly reduced when L-arginine (25 µg/paw, i.pl.), Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 50 µg/paw, i.pl.), glibenclamide (300 µg/paw, i.pl.), tetraethylammonium (300 µg/paw, i.pl.) and charybdotoxin (3 µg/paw, i.pl.) were injected before treatment. Taken together, our present data suggest that FKB elicits peripheral antinociception when assessed in the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan. In addition, it was also demonstrated that this effect was mediated through interaction of the NO/cGMP/K+ channels signaling pathway.
  16. Lee KH, Chow YL, Sharmili V, Abas F, Alitheen NB, Shaari K, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2012;13(3):2985-3008.
    PMID: 22489138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms13032985
    Our preliminary screening has shown that curcumin derivative BDMC33 [2,6-bis(2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone] exerted promising nitric oxide inhibitory activity in activated macrophages. However, the molecular basis and mechanism for its pharmacological action is yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of BDMC33 and elucidate its underlying mechanism action in macrophage cells. Our current study demonstrated that BDMC33 inhibits the secretion of major pro-inflammatory mediators in stimulated macrophages, and includes NO, TNF-α and IL-1β through interference in both nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen activator protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade in IFN-γ/LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, BDMC33 also interrupted LPS signaling through inhibiting the surface expression of CD-14 accessory molecules. In addition, the inhibitory action of BDMC33 not only restricted the macrophages cell (RAW264.7), but also inhibited the secretion of NO and TNF-α in IFN-γ/LPS-challenged microglial cells (BV-2). The experimental data suggests the inflammatory action of BDMC33 on activated macrophage-like cellular systems, which could be used as a future therapeutic agent in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases.
  17. Khalid S, Shaik Mossadeq WM, Israf DA, Hashim P, Rejab S, Shaberi AM, et al.
    Med Princ Pract, 2010;19(4):255-9.
    PMID: 20516700 DOI: 10.1159/000312710
    To study the effects of Tamarindus indica L. aqueous fruit extract on the antinociceptive activities in rodent models.
  18. Tham CL, Lam KW, Rajajendram R, Cheah YK, Sulaiman MR, Lajis NH, et al.
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2011 Feb 10;652(1-3):136-44.
    PMID: 21114991 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.10.092
    We previously showed that 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidine)cyclohexanone (BHMC), suppressed the synthesis of various proinflammatory mediators. In this study we explain the mechanism of action of BHMC in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced U937 monocytes and further show that BHMC prevents lethality of CLP-induced sepsis. BHMC showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on p38, JNK and ERK 1/2 activity as determined by inhibition of phosphorylation of downstream transcription factors ATF-2, c-Jun and Elk-1 respectively. Inhibition of these transcription factors subsequently caused total abolishment of AP-1-DNA binding. BHMC inhibited p65 NF-κB nuclear translocation and DNA binding of p65 NF-κB only at the highest concentration used (12.5μM) but failed to alter phosphorylation of JNK, ERK1/2 and STAT-1. Since the inhibition of p38 activity was more pronounced we evaluated the possibility that BHMC may bind to p38. Molecular docking experiments confirmed that BHMC fits well in the highly conserved hydrophobic pocket of p38 MAP kinase. We also show that BHMC was able to improve survival from lethal sepsis in a murine caecal-ligation and puncture (CLP) model.
  19. Shaik Mossadeq WM, Sulaiman MR, Tengku Mohamad TA, Chiong HS, Zakaria ZA, Jabit ML, et al.
    Med Princ Pract, 2009;18(5):378-84.
    PMID: 19648761 DOI: 10.1159/000226292
    OBJECTIVES: To determine the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Mitragyna speciosa Korth methanol extract in rodents.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma tests in rats. Antinociceptive activity was measured using the writhing test and the hot plate test in mice, and the formalin test in rats. All drugs and extracts were diluted in dH(2)O and administered through the intraperitoneal route. Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test for multiple comparisons among groups.
    RESULTS: Results showed that intraperitoneal administration of the extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg produced significant dose-dependent activity in all of the nociceptive models evaluated (p < 0.05). With the formalin test, the antinociceptive activity in mice was inhibited only at the highest dose of the extract (200 mg/kg). The study also showed that intraperitoneal administration of the methanol extract of M. speciosa (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly and dose-dependently suppressed the development of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (p < 0.05). In the chronic test, however, significant reduction in granulomatous tissue formation in rats was observed only at the highest dose of the methanol extract of M. speciosa (200 mg/kg, p < 0.05).
    CONCLUSION: The present study suggests the presence of potent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory principles in the extract, supporting its folkloric use for the treatment of these conditions.
  20. Liew CY, Lam KW, Kim MK, Harith HH, Tham CL, Cheah YK, et al.
    Int Immunopharmacol, 2011 Jan;11(1):85-95.
    PMID: 21035434 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2010.10.011
    We previously showed that 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(5-methyl-furan-2-y-l)propenone (HMP), suppressed the synthesis of various proinflammatory mediators. In this study, HMP showed a dose-dependent inhibition of NO synthesis in the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage line. The inhibition of NO synthesis was related to inhibition of p38 phosphorylation and kinase activity that led to significant inhibition of phosphorylation of ATF-2. This effect in turn caused inhibition of AP-1-DNA binding which partially explains the inhibitory effect upon the synthesis of iNOS. HMP had no effect upon phosphorylation of JNK, ERK1/2 and STAT-1. Kinase activity of JNK and ERK1/2 was also not affected by HMP as determined by levels of phosphorylated c-jun and phosphorylated elk-1. Furthermore HMP failed to block phosphorylation of IκBα, and subsequent nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of p65 NF-κB in IFN-γ/LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Molecular docking experiments confirmed that HMP fits well in the highly conserved hydrophobic pocket of p38 MAP kinase. We conclude that the synthetic HMP is a chalcone analogue that selectively inhibits the p38/ATF-2 and AP-1 signaling pathways in the NO synthesis by the macrophage RAW 264.7.
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