: Nitric oxide (NO) is a gasotransmitter with pleotropic effects which has made a great impact in biology and medicine. A multidimensional neuromodulatory role of NO has been shown in the brain with specific reference to neurodegerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive dysfunction. It is found that NO/cGMP signalling pathway has an important role in learning and memory. Initially it was considered that indirectly NO exerted neurotoxicity in AD via glutamatergic excitotoxicity. However, considering the early development of cognitive functions involved in learning memory process including long term potentiation and synaptic plasticity, NO has crucial role. Increasing evidences uncovered the above facts that isoforms of NOS viz endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) having variable expression in AD is mainly responsible for learning and memory activities. In this review, we focus the role of NOS isoforms in AD parallel to NO. Further, this review provide convergent evidence that NO could provide a therapeutic avenue in AD via modulation of the relevant NOS expression.
BackgroundGlucocorticoid is among the most commonly prescribed medicine. Unfortunately, Excess glucocorticoid level leads hypertension in 80–90% patients. Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used since ancient times and even nowadays as a part of popular medicine for various ailments and physiological disorders. Hence this study was undertaken to investigate the antihypertensive activity of allicin in dexamethasone induced hypertension in wistar rats.MethodsThe animals were randomly divided into four groups comprising of six rats per group. Hypertension was induced by subcutaneous injection of dexamethasone (10 μg/rat/day) in hypertensive rats. Two hypertensive group animals were treated with nicorandil (6 mg/kg/day, po) and allicin (8 mg/kg/day, po) respectively for 8 weeks. While systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured by the tail-cuff method weekly up to 8 weeks.ResultsDexamethasone treatment resulted in significant increase in SBP while allicin treatment significantly decreases the SBP. Thus, this study confirmed that allicin treatment for 8 weeks partially reverse dexamethasone induced hypertension in rats. Allicin treatment also attenuated dexamethasone-induced anorexia and loss of total body weight.ConclusionThis result suggests antihypertensive effects of allicin in dexamethasone induced hypertension. However, further studies are needed to explore the detailed mechanism of antihypertensive effect of allicin.
Abstract:The garlic (Allium sativum L., Amaryllidaceae) has been popularly used in the treatment of diabetes and cardiac complications. In the present work, we have studied the possible mechanisms, sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) selectivity of allicin in diabetic hypertensive rats. Diabetic hypertension was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) followed by daily administration of dexamethasone (10 μg/kg, s.c.). Different parameters, blood pressure and blood glucose levels were studied in the rats weekly up to eight weeks. Allicin (8 mg/ kg, p.o.) shows potent antidiabetic (*p<0.001) as well as antihypertensive effect (**p<0.001, *p<0.01). It may act as a vasodilator by hyperpolarizing the membrane of normal vascular smooth muscle cells. The hyperpolarization in vascular smooth muscle occurs due to K + channel opener activity. Antihypertensive effect of allicin is inhibited by glibenclamide, nonselective SUR blocker while combination of allicin with nateglinide, selective SUR1 blocker exerted synergistic antihypertensive effect. The results indicates that allicin is effective in the treatment of diabetic hypertension; through a mechanism that might involve selective opening of SUR2.
Pregnant women constitute one of the most vulnerable populations to be affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy could negatively impact fetal brain development via multiple mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that mother to fetus transmission of SARS-CoV-2 does occur, albeit rarely. When it does occur, there is a potential for neuroinvasion via immune cells, retrograde axonal transport, and olfactory bulb and lymphatic pathways. In the absence of maternal to fetal transmission, there is still the potential for negative neurodevelopmental outcomes as a consequence of disrupted placental development and function leading to preeclampsia, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. In addition, maternal immune activation may lead to hypomyelination, microglial activation, white matter damage, and reduced neurogenesis in the developing fetus. Moreover, maternal immune activation can disrupt the maternal or fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to altered neurodevelopment. Finally, pro-inflammatory cytokines can potentially alter epigenetic processes within the developing brain. In this review, we address each of these potential mechanisms. We propose that SARS-CoV-2 could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders in a subset of pregnant women and that long-term studies are warranted.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.