BACKGROUND: Repeated cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure lead to increased voluntary ethanol (EtOH) intake in C57BL/6J mice. This study evaluates the development of tolerance to EtOH's aversive effects in CIE exposure. METHODS: Adult male C57BL/6J mice were trained to drink 15% EtOH (vs. water) in a limited access ...

We investigated the antioxidant potential, cytotoxic effect, and TNF-α inhibition activity with NF-κB activation response in a chloroform fraction of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds (CACF). The antioxidant property of CACF was evaluated with DPPH, ORAC, and FRAP assays, which demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. The cytotoxicity of CACF was tested using the ...

Abstract To test the hypothesis that the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is involved in mediating the toll-like receptor 4-dependent effects on the liver in the onset of fructose-induced steatosis, wild-type and iNOS knockout (iNOS(-/-)) mice were either fed tap water or 30% fructose solution for 8 weeks. Chronic consumption ...

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether erythropoietin (EPO) treatment may exert nonhematopoietic endothelial protection against TNF-[alpha]-induced microvascular inflammation and to determine the involvement of the nitric oxide (NO)-producing enzyme isoforms endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Murine dorsal skinfold chambers of wild-type (WT) animals ...

The present study investigated whether the antioxidant activity of p,p'-methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide [(MeOPhSe)(2) ] is involved in its protective effect against cognitive impairment induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in a model of sporadic dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT). Swiss mice were treated with STZ or vehicle [2 µl of 2·5 mg ml(-1) solution; intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.)] ...

Osteopontin (OPN), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, has been reported to inhibit inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We examined if recombinant OPN (r-OPN) inhibits iNOS and prevents brain injury in a mouse collagenase-induced intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) model. One hundred one mice were randomly assigned to five groups: sham, ICH + vehicle, ICH + r-OPN (10, ...

Based on knowledge from traditional Arab herbal medicine, this in vitro study aims to examine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Hypericum triquetrifolium by measuring the expression and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukine-6 (IL-6), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in human monocytic cells, THP-1. The effects ...

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether chronic cerebral hypoperfusion would affect cognitive status in an Alzheimer mouse model. Behavioral tests and histological evaluations were performed using female Tg2576 mice eight weeks after right common carotid artery occlusion (rCCAO), which is known to induce a type of ...

This study investigated the protective effects of isoquinoline alkaloid berberine on the CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Berberine was administered as a single dose at 5 and 10mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.), 1h before CCl(4) (10%, v/v in olive oil, 2ml/kg) injection and mice were euthanized 24h later. The rise in serum levels ...

A group of growth factors have been shown to play important roles in amelioration of the malfunction of the neurodegenerative diseases. However, the proteins or polypeptides passing across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to access the brain parenchyma are relatively few so that it hinders the therapies in clinic. Here a ...

Using a mouse model with noise-induced cochlear blood-labyrinth-barrier (CBLB) injury, we examined the effects of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) to the CBLB after acoustic injury. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6J and B6.129P2-Nos2(tm1Lau)/J mice were transplanted with GFP(+)-BMDCs from C57Bl/6-Tg (UBC GFP) mice. Four ...

We previously demonstrated that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in epidermal keratinocytes is associated with epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis. In the present study, we examined the contributions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) to epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis. We measured the barrier recovery rate ...

Nitric oxide (NO) in combination with superoxide produces peroxynitrites and induces protein nitration, which participates in a number of chronic degenerative diseases. NO is produced at high levels in the human emphysematous lung, but its role in this disease is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether ...

This study investigated the antinociceptive effects of zerumbone in chemical behavioural models of nociception in mice. Zerumbone given through intraperitoneal route (i.p.) produced dose-related antinociception when assessed on acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test in mice. In addition, the i.p. administration of zerumbone exhibited significant inhibition of the neurogenic pain induced ...

Cisplatin is one of the most potent and active cytotoxic drug in the treatment of cancer. However, side-effects in normal tissues and organs, notably nephrotoxicity in the kidneys, limit the promising efficacy of cisplatin. The present study was designed to ascertain the possible in vivo protective potential of a synthetic ...

This study is to investigate the role of Nrf2 in suppressing LPS-mediated inflammation in ex vivo macrophages by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Primary peritoneal macrophages from Nrf2 wild-type (+/+; WT) and Nrf2 knockout (-/-; KO) mice were treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the ...

Coccidiosis with the protozoan parasite Eimeria as the infectious agent causes enormous economic losses, particularly in poultry farms. Here, we investigated the effects of garlic on the outcome of coccidiosis caused by Eimeria papillata in male Balb/c mice. The data showed that mice infected with E. papillata revealed an output ...

To study the beneficial effects of triterpene alpha,beta-amyrin and the underlying mechanisms in an experimental pancreatitis model. Acute pancreatitis was induced in five groups of rats (n = 8) by L-arginine (2 x 2.5 g/kg, intraperitoneal, 1 h apart) and 1 h later, they received a single oral dose of ...

Aging is associated with an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on various physiological parameters related to inflammation in livers obtained from two types of male mice models: Senescence-accelerated prone (SAMP8) and senescence-accelerated-resistant (SAMR1) mice, and to study ...

Infusion of α,β-methylene ATP (α,β-meATP) into murine neck muscle facilitates brainstem nociception. Unspecific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition prevents and reverses this sensitization. It is unclear whether neuronal (nNOS), inducible (iNOS) or endothelial NOS isoenzymes are involved in this α,β-meATP effect. Hypothesized involvement of nNOS isoenzyme was addressed by preceding ...

Endotoxin including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) confers organ tolerance against subsequent challenge by ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) insult. The mechanisms underlying this powerful adaptive defense remain to be defined. Therefore, in this study we attempted to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) and its associated enzymes, inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS, ...

Endogenously elicited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction counteracts fibrosis and oxidative stress in penile tissues in rat models of Peyronie's disease and erectile dysfunction. The current study aimed to determine whether the genetic blockade of iNOS expression in the iNOS knock out (iNOS KO) mouse intensifies fibrosis and oxidative ...

The role of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in allergic airway inflammation remains elusive. We tested the hypothesis that iNOS plays different roles during acute versus chronic airway inflammation. Acute and chronic mouse models of OVA-induced airway inflammation were used to conduct the study. We showed that iNOS deletion was associated ...

This study hypothesized that upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) would preserve the metabolic status of the liver under conditions of steatosis and acute inflammation. Wild-type C57BL/6J and C57BL/6 iNOS-knockout (-/-) mice were fed a choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented diet (CDE). Mice were also injected with 5 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to ...

Increased levels of eosinphils, IgE, IL-4, 5, and 13 and pro-inflammatory factors (COX-2, iNOS) are observed in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Taxifolin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (TAX) from the roots of Rhododendron mucronulatum (RM) was examined to determine whether its immunomodulatory effect was applicable for treating atopic dermatitis.A total of 7 groups ...

We have recently demonstrated that S-allylcysteine (SAC) induces protection on neurochemical, biochemical and behavioral markers of striatal damage in different neurotoxic animal models - including a murine model induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropiridinium (MPTP) injection to mice - indicating that pro-oxidant reactions underlie neurotoxicity in these models (García et al. 2008). In ...

The Bi-Qi Capsule (Bi-Qi) has been used in clinic as prescribed drug for the treatment of rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other osteoarticular diseases about 20 years in China. Pharmacological and clinical studies have confirmed the anti-inflammatory and analgesic action of Bi-Qi in vivo. However, its anti-inflammatory molecular mechanism is ...

Using TNF receptor 1 knock out (TNFR1KO) mice, we investigated the role played by TNFR1 in immune regulation during neonatal listeriosis. Induction of protective immune response in wild type pups resulted in the prompt control of infection with an attenuated DeltaactA mutant Listeria monocytogenes, accompanied by enhanced hepatic expression of ...

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is involved in obesity-induced insulin resistance. Since aging is accompanied by increased iNOS expression, the effect of iNOS gene deletion on aging-associated insulin resistance was investigated in 7-month-old (adult) and 22-month-old (old) iNOS knockout and wild-type mice using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. While body weight and ...

Chronic liver disease is associated with endotoxemia, oxidative stress, increased endocannabinoids and decreased cardiac responsiveness. Endocannabinoids activate the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) pathway. However, how they interact with each other remains obscure. We therefore aimed to clarify the relationship between the TNFalpha-NFkappaB pathway and endocannabinoids in the ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic liver disease is associated with endotoxemia, oxidative stress, increased endocannabinoids and decreased cardiac responsiveness. Endocannabinoids activate the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha)-nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) pathway. However, how they interact with each other remains obscure. We therefore aimed to clarify the relationship between the TNFalpha-NFkappaB pathway and ...

Sepsis and/or systemic inflammatory response syndrome are leading causes of death in intensive care unit patients. NO is a critical player in the pathogenesis of bacterial sepsis. Several studies demonstrate elevation of iNOS in LPS-induced acute inflammatory responses and mortality; however, the effectiveness of its therapeutic suppression in systemic inflammation ...

Amnesia may result from ageing, chronic drug abuse or head injury and there are limited therapeutic strategies to such conditions. We have shown that Bacopa monniera, a memory enhancing drug can reverse both diazepam and scopolamine induced amnesia in mice. In order to understand the downstream effects of B. monniera, ...

OBJECTIVE: Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors are reported to protect against the local tissue damage in gingivitis and periodontal disease by reducing nitroxidative stress during inflammation, but their systemic effects are not well investigated. DESIGN: NOS inhibitors systemic effects were investigated in a murine chronic oral inoculation model using live ...

We have previously reported that the in vivo transfer of murine interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene using a Semliki Forest virus vector induced tumor regression through inhibition of tumor blood vessel formation. To examine whether IL-12 anti-angiogenic activity interferes with the NO pathway, we used inducible nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice (iNOS-/-) and ...

Licochalcone A (LicA), a major phenolic constituent of licorice, has antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties in human and murine cell lines. We previously showed that LicA down-regulates the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) via the modulation of nuclear factor-kappaB and activator protein-1 activation in cell culture. ...

BACKGROUND: Exposure of adult mice to more than 95% O(2) produces a lethal injury by 72 hours. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of murine hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated glycoprotein produced principally by macrophages. OPN inhibits inducible nitric oxide ...

We hypothesized that unrecognized differences in epithelial expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), resulting from engineered immunodeficiency, could explain the contradictory findings of prior studies regarding the importance of nitric oxide (NO) in murine models of Cryptosporidium parvum infection. Severe combined immunodeficient mice (SCID) failed to constitutively or inducibly ...

Lanthanum chloride, a rare earth compound, possesses antibacterial and cellular immunity regulating properties. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of lanthanum chloride on the production of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) ...

STOP (stable tubule only polypeptide) null mice display neurochemical and behavioral abnormalities that resemble several well-recognized features of schizophrenia. Recent evidence suggests that the hematopoietic growth factor erythropoietin improves the cognitive performance of schizophrenics. The mechanism, however, by which erythropoietin is able to improve the cognition of schizophrenics is unclear. ...

This study examined whether Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), a major active component of Chinese herb Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, may exert an anti-inflammatory effect in microglia and may be neuroprotective by regulating microglial activation. Our results showed that Sal B significantly reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis ...

Polyphenols, coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) and chromone (1,4-benzopyrone), are naturally occurring constituent of variety of plant species. They have attracted immense interest because of their diverse pharmacological activities. Not much was known about biological activities of acetyl derivative (polyphenolic acetates) of parent polyphenols. In previous investigations, we have conclusively established calreticulin transacetylase ...

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in almost all tissues and organs, exerting a variety of biological actions under both physiological and pathological conditions. NO is synthesized by three distinct NO synthase (NOS) isoforms (neuronal, inducible, and endothelial NOS), all of which are expressed in the human cardiovascular system. Although the ...

OBJECTIVE: Impaired endothelium-dependent arteriolar dilation in mice fed high salt (HS) is due to local oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) by superoxide anion (O(2) (-)). We explored the possibility that "uncoupled" endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the source of this O(2) (-). METHODS: Levels of L-arginine (L-Arg), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)), ...

Escherichia coli K1 is a leading cause of neonatal meningitis in humans. In this study, we sought to determine the pathophysiologic relevance of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) in experimental E. coli K1 meningitis. By using a newborn mouse model of meningitis, we demonstrate that E. coli infection triggered the expression ...

This study investigated the protective effects of pravastatin against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and the possible mechanisms in mice. Pravastatin showed significant protection as evidenced by the decrease of elevated serum creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and improvement of histopathological injury induced by cisplatin. The formation of kidney malondialdehyde (MDA) ...

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effect of prolonged administration of bovine milk lactoferrin (bLF) on hyperalgesia and allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain and to determine the involvement of c-Fos, TNF-alpha, nitric oxide and opioidergic systems in this effect. MAIN METHODS: Neuropathic pain was induced in ...

The present study was performed to investigate the anti-allergy potentials of glycoprotein (90kDa) isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten MAKINO (OFI glycoprotein) in vivo (ICR mice) and in vitro (RBL-2H3 cells). At first, to know whether the OFI glycoprotein has an inhibitory ability for allergy in vivo, we evaluated the ...

BACKGROUND: Although it has been largely demonstrated that nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a key enzyme for nitric oxide (NO) production, modulates inflammatory pain, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain to be clarified. Here we asked whether cytokines, which have well-described roles in inflammatory pain, are downstream targets of NO ...

BACKGROUND: Astrocytes play a major role in preserving and restoring structural and physiological integrity following injury to the nervous system. After peripheral axotomy, reactive gliosis propagates within adjacent spinal segments, influenced by the local synthesis of nitric oxide (NO). The present work investigated the importance of inducible nitric oxide synthase ...