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AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionsCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Ischemic heart diseases, particularly acute myocardial infarction (MI), represent the most common cause of death. MI is influenced by multiple factors, including the release of inflammatory mediators. A significant percentage of individuals with CVD experience psychological effects, such as anxiety and depression, which are linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Certain anti-anxiety medications have demonstrated immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Tofisopam, a 2,3-benzodiazepine with anxiolytic properties, has been shown to exert in vitro anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The present study investigates the potential of tofisopam as a protective adjuvant against isoprenaline-induced MI in rats and explores the possible underlying mechanisms.The study included four groups: a control group, a group pretreated with tofisopam, an isoprenaline toxic group, and an isoprenaline toxic group pretreated with tofisopam.The findings demonstrated that isoprenaline significantly increased cardiac enzyme levels, as well as elevated oxidative and inflammatory stress parameters, along with evident apoptosis in cardiac cells. In contrast, the tofisopam-pretreated group showed a significant reversal of the cardiac damage induced by isoprenaline.Tofisopam protects against isoprenaline-induced MI through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Background: Ovarian I/R is a popular gynecological emergency, complicating ovarian torsion. TTS, reported to have many therapeutic effects along with being an antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and anti-apoptotic agent. The aim of this study was to estimate the probable protective role of Tribulus terrestris Saponin (TTS) in recovering the damaging effects of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in the female rats' ovarian tissue. Materials and Methods: TTS was treated to female rats in presence or absence of ovarian I/R. Results: I/R caused ovarian damage, represented by deformity in normal ovarian histological structure, with a significant oxidative and nitrosative stress along with obvious inflammatory damage. Pretreatment with TTS significantly reversed the I/R induced ovarian toxic effects. TTS may have valuable ovarian protective effects against ovarian I/R injury. Conclusion: TTS protection is given via antioxidant, anti-nitrosative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic mechanisms with advancement of vascular angiogenesis and pituitary-gonadal axis up regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a lethal disease with pronounced narrowing of pulmonary vessels due to abnormal cell growth. Agents that can reduce the pulmonary vascular thickness thus have therapeutic potential. The present study investigated the efficacy of carfilzomib (CFZ), a proteasome inhibitor and a cancer chemotherapeutic drug, on reversing PAH. Methods and results In two rat models of PAH, SU5416/hypoxia and SU5416/ovalbumin, CFZ effectively reversed pulmonary vascular remodelling with the promotion of apoptosis and autophagy. In human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, knocking down mediators of autophagy attenuated CFZ-induced cell death. The cell death role of autophagy was promoted by the participation of tumour protein p53-inducible nuclear protein 1. CFZ increased the protein ubiquitination, and siRNA knockdown of ubiquitin inhibited cell death, suggesting that CFZ-induced cell death is ubiquitin-dependent. Mass spectrometry demonstrated the ubiquitination of major vault protein and heat shock protein 90 in response to CFZ. The siRNA knockdown of these proteins enhanced CFZ-induced cell death, revealing that they are cell survival factors. CFZ reduced right-ventricular pressure and enhanced the efficacy of a vasodilator, sodium nitroprusside. While no indications of CFZ toxicity were observed in the right ventricle of PAH rats, apoptosis was promoted in the left ventricle. Apoptosis was prevented by dexrazoxane or by pifithrin-a without interfering with the efficacy of CFZ to reverse pulmonary vascular remodelling. Conclusion The addition of anti-tumour agents such as CFZ along with cardioprotectants to currently available vasodilators may be a promising way to improve PAH therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackgroundMaterials and methodsResultsConclusionThe aim of the current study is to identify the possible protective effect of bupropion (BUP) on liver injury in rat model of myocardial infarction (MI). BUP was administered in the presence and absence of MI.Thirty-two Wistar adult male rats were randomly arranged into four groups: control, BUP (30 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal) for 28 days, isoproterenol (ISO) was injected subcutaneous (85 mg/kg) in the 26th and 27th days and BUP/ISO groups. Cardiac and hepatic enzymes were measured, also Hepatic oxidative stress indicators, as well as inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers, were evaluated. Cardiac and hepatic histopathological examination and hepatic nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) immunohistochemical study were also detected.ISO significantly increased cardiac and hepatic enzymes, hepatic oxidative stress, inflammatory, apoptotic, with a histopathological picture of cardiac and hepatic damage and high hepatic NF-κB immunoexpression were detected. BUP significantly normalized the upraised oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic parameters, with an impressive improvement in the histopathological picture and a reduction in hepatic NF-κB immunoexpression.BUP protects against liver injury on top of MI in rat model via modulation of Sirtuin type 1 (Sirt1)/Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)/tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα); Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/Hepatic myeloid differentiation primary response 88(Myd88)/NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is rare, but patients who are diagnosed with this disease still suffer from a lack of satisfactory treatment strategies to prolong survival. While currently approved drugs for PAH have some benefits, these vasodilators only have limited efficacy for eliminating pulmonary vascular remodeling and reducing mortality. Thus, our laboratory has been exploring the use of aggressive drugs, which are capable of causing apoptotic cell death, to treat PAH. We have so far found that three classes of anti-tumor agents, including anthracyclines, taxanes, and proteasome inhibitors, are capable of reducing pulmonary vascular thickness in rats with PAH. These drugs kill cells in remodeled pulmonary vessels without affecting the normal, healthy pulmonary vasculature, revealing that proliferating vascular cells in PAH patients are more sensitive to drug-induced apoptosis compared to the differentiated phenotype that is physiologically important for smooth muscle contraction. Since many apoptosis-inducing drugs cause cardiotoxicity in cancer patients, and because PAH patients already have a weakened heart, we focus on finding biological mechanisms that may reverse pulmonary vascular remodeling without promoting cardiotoxicity. We found two agents, dexrazoxane and pifithrin-α, that selectively inhibit cardiac muscle apoptosis without affecting the drug-induced apoptosis of the proliferating pulmonary vascular cells. Thus, we propose that the addition of apoptosis-inducing drugs and cardioprotectants to PAH therapies may be effective in treating patients and preventing right heart failure.