ACT x IL-1β

This study aimed to investigate the effects of andiz extract on wound healing and compare it with saline and chlorhexidine gluconate. Microbial DNA load was used to evaluate its antibacterial effects, and gene expression methods were used to assess its contribution to cytokine release and wound healing.

A standardized wound site was created with a 3 mm diameter punch on 32 male Wistar albino rats. The rats were divided into four groups: Control (n = 5), Saline (n = 9), Chlorhexidine gluconate (n = 9), and Andiz extract (n = 9). Five rats in the control group were euthanised without any treatment. Irrigations of the Saline, Chlorhexidine, and Extract groups were provided regularly. After the tissue samples were taken in the 1st week, 2nd week, and 3rd week, three rats were euthanized each week for each group. The total bacterial DNA load on the samples taken was determined by a nano spectrophotometer. β-actin was chosen as housekeeping, and target gene primers were created for TGF-β and IL-1β. Expression amounts of target genes were measured by Real-Time PCR with the application of the created primers. There is a significant difference between the Extract group and the other groups regarding total bacterial DNA load. The whole bacterial load was 185% less than the initial values. TGF-β and IL-1β genes evaluated regarding gene expression were measured at the highest value in the Extract group.

This study showed the antibacterial effects of the Extract and its positive contributions to wound healing.

In the elderly population, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of visual impairment, characterized by a thinner retinal pigment epithelium and loss of photoreceptors. 6-shogaol (6S), a component of dried Zingiber officinale Roscoe, has been studied for its multiple therapeutic effects. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of 6S supplementation on AMD. 25-month-old C57BL/6 mice were orally administered with 10 mg/kg of 6S for 28 consecutive days. The thickness of the retinal layer was measured by histological analysis. mRNA expression related to fibrosis, inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. As a result, 6S increased the thickness of the retinal layer and promoted postsynaptic density protein-95 expression in the outer plexiform layer of the aged mice. Moreover, 6S suppressed ocular mRNA expression related to the fibrotic process, including transforming growth factor beta, collagen type 1 alpha 1, and alpha smooth muscle actin. Furthermore, 6S reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, cyclooxygenase-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the eyeballs of aged mice. Lastly, 6S inhibited ocular endoplasmic reticulum stress measured by mRNA expression of C/EBP homologous protein and spliced X-box binding protein-1 in the aged mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that 6S and dried ginger could be a potential nutraceutical candidate for AMD or other age-related eye diseases.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a widely utilized plasticizer, has been increasingly associated with cardiovascular risks. However, the involvement of DEHP in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains unclear. To address this gap, C57BL/6 J mice were intragastrically administered with DEHP for 4 weeks in a CaCl₂-induced AAA model. We found that DEHP exacerbated AAA progression, as evidenced by a notable enlargement in the maximal diameter of the abdominal aorta, enhanced vascular inflammation, and accelerated elastin degradation. In vitro experiments confirmed that DEHP, along with its primary metabolite mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), induced M1 macrophage polarization, leading to increased secretion of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), and pro-inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Mechanistically, we demonstrated that DEHP and MEHP triggered the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway by upregulating phosphorylated p65 and inducing p65 nuclear translocation, which drove M1 macrophage polarization. These findings were further confirmed using a mouse AAA model in vivo. Additionally, DEHP and MEHP promoted the proliferation and migration of primary human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Phenotypic switching of VSMCs was markedly accelerated following DEHP and MEHP treatment, potentially through the PI3K-AKT pathway, as characterized by reducing contractile markers (ACTA2 and CNN1) and enhancing proliferative markers (PCNA and SPP1). Overall, our study underscores the pivotal role that DEHP plays in exacerbating AAA by promoting M1 macrophage polarization and VSMCs phenotypic switching, which provides new insights into the adverse health effects of environmental pollution-relevant cardiovascular disease progression.