Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important inducers of angiogenesis, therefore blocking angiogenesis has led to great promise in the treatment of various cancers and inflammatory diseases. VEGF, expressed in response to soluble mediators such as cytokines and growth factors, is important in the physiological development of blood vessels as well as development of vessels in tumors. In cancer patients VEGF levels are increased, and the expression of VEGF is associated with poor prognosis in diseases. VEGF is a mediator of angiogenesis and inflammation which are closely integrated processes in a number of physiological and pathological conditions including obesity, psoriasis, autoimmune diseases and tumor. Mast cells can be activated by anti-IgE to release potent mediators of inflammation and can also respond to bacterial or viral antigens, cytokines, growth factors and hormones, leading to differential release of distinct mediators without degranulation. Substance P strongly induces VEGF in mast cells, and IL-33 contributes to the stimulation and release of VEGF in human mast cells in a dose-dependent manner and acts synergistically in combination with Substance P. Here we report a strong link between VEGF and mast cells and we depict their role in inflammation and immunity.

Verbascum thapsus commonly known as 'mullein' is part of a large family of Scrophulariaceae consisting of more than 360 species. From antiquity Verbascum thapsus has been used as a medicinal herb, it contains diverse polysaccharides, iroid glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, volatile oils and phenylentanoids. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) represents one of the three isoforms that produce nitric oxide using L-arginine as a substrate in response to an increase in superoxide anion activated by NF-kB. It is implicated in different pathophysiological events and its expression increases greatly during an inflammatory process, due to oxidative stress and the activation of the enzymes of the antioxidant network such as SOD, CAT and GPx.In this study an inflammatory state was reproduced by treating THP-1 cells (human myelomonocytic leukaemia) with pro-inflammatory stimuli, such as LPS and IFN-gamma, obtaining an up-regulation both in the expression and in the activity of iNOS. The aim of the work was to investigate the antiinflammatory action of verbascoside using a concentration of 100 mum. The results show a significant decrease of the expression and activity of iNOS, extracellular O(2) (-) production, SOD, CAT and GPx activity when the cells were treated with verbascoside. Based on these results it is hypothesized that verbascoside has antiinflammatory properties since it reduces the production of superoxide radicals and consequently reduces the activity of iNOS.

It has been suggested that oxidative stress activates various intracellular signaling pathways leading to secretion of a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. SHP-1 is a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) which acts as a negative regulator of immune cytokine signaling. However, intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), generated endogenously upon stimulation and exogenously from environmental oxidants, has been known to be involved in the process of intracellular signaling through inhibiting various PTPs, including SHP-1. In this study, we investigated the potential role of astaxanthin, an antioxidant marine carotenoid, in re-establishing SHP-1 negative regulation on pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in U-937 cell line stimulated with oxidative stimulus. ELISA measurement suggested that ASTA treatment (10 µM) reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) induced through H2O2, (100 µM). Furthermore, this property is elicited by restoration of basal SHP-1 protein expression level and reduced NF-κB (p65) nuclear expression, as showed by western blotting experiments.

Wound healing is a highly coordinated and complex process involving various cell types, chemical mediators and the surrounding extracellular matrix, resulting in a tightly orchestrated re-establishment of tissue integrity by specific cytokines. It consists of various dynamic processes including a series of overlapping phases: inflammation, proliferation, re-epithelialization and remodeling. One of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the disturbances in wound healing is an out-of-control inflammatory response that can cause pathological consequences, such as hypertrophic scars, keloids or chronic wounds and ulcers. Recently, several reports have evaluated the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on tissue repair. In particular, the data analysis supports an anti-inflammatory effect of EMFs by the modulation of cytokine profiles that drive the transition from a chronic pro-inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state of the healing process. In this review, we focus on the effect of EMFs on skin wound healing showing emerging details of the anti-inflammatory effects of EMFs, with a view to cytokines as candidate biomarkers. Molecular clarification of the mechanisms involved in the modulation of inflammatory factors following exposure to EMFs will provide a better understanding of the cellular responses induced by EMFs and a potential, additional treatment in non-responding, chronic wounds.

Saliva collection is considered a non-invasive method to detect inflammatory markers in response to emotional states within natural social contexts. Numerous studies have prompted an important role of cytokines in modulating distinct aspects of social and emotional behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of plasma and saliva as investigative tools for measure some inflammatory marker levels (CRP, IL-1β, IL-18, and IL-6). At the same time, the relationships between these markers and emotional states in response to a socio-cognitive stress (Academic Exam, AE), were considered. It was demonstrated that the plasma and saliva concentrations of all immune-mediators analyzed were significantly related across the socio-cognitive stress. In addition, when there was a close correlation to AE, the anger state, the IL-1β, the IL-18 salivary and plasmatic concentrations were significantly higher, while they decreased during the AE. On the other hand, the anxiety state and the IL-6 levels significantly increased throughout the AE. The IL-1β and IL-6 were positively associated to the anger and the anxiety state, respectively. In conclusion, our data highlight that different immune markers are similarly detectable in plasma and saliva during socio-cognitive stress. Also, they could be related to different emotional responses.

Recently, astaxanthin (ASTA) studies have focused on several biological functions such as radical scavenging, singlet oxygen quenching, anti-carcinogenesis, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-melanogenesis, and immune enhancement activities. In this study, we investigated the potential role protective of ASTA, an antioxidant marine carotenoid, in restoring physiological conditions in U937 cells stimulated with LPS (10 µg/ml). Our results show that pre-treatment with ASTA (10 µM) for 1 h attenuates the LPS-induced toxicity and ROS production. The beneficial effect of ASTA is associated with a reduction intracellular O2 − production by restoring the antioxidant network activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), which influence HO-1 expression and activity by inhibiting nuclear translocation of Nrf2. We accordingly hypothesize that ASTA has therapeutic properties protecting U937 cells from LPS-induced inflammatory and oxidative stress.

Marine carotenoids are important bioactive compounds with physiological activities related to prevention of degenerative diseases found principally in plants, with potential antioxidant biological properties deriving from their chemical structure and interaction with biological membranes. They are substances with very special and remarkable properties that no other groups of substances possess and that form the basis of their many, varied functions and actions in all kinds of living organisms. The potential beneficial effects of marine carotenoids have been studied particularly in astaxanthin and fucoxanthin as they are the major marine carotenoids. Both these two carotenoids show strong antioxidant activity attributed to quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. The potential role of these carotenoids as dietary anti-oxidants has been suggested to be one of the main mechanisms for their preventive effects against cancer and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this short review is to examine the published studies concerning the use of the two marine carotenoids, astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

No abstract