Uncaria rhynchophylla and its Major Constituents on Central Nervous System: A Review on Their Pharmacological Actions

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Yang ◽  
Siu-Po Ip ◽  
Ling Liu ◽  
Yan-Fang Xian ◽  
Zhi-Xiu Lin
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Uncaria Rhynchophylla ◽  
Cerebral Diseases ◽  
Comprehensive Search ◽  
Experimental Findings

Background: Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Jacks (Rubinaceae), a common herbal medicine known as Gou-teng in Chinese, is commonly used in Chinese medicine practice for the treatment of convulsions, hypertension, epilepsy, eclampsia and other cerebral diseases. The major active components of U. rhynchophylla are alkaloids, terpenoids and flavonoids. The protective effects of U. rhynchophylla and its major components on central nervous system (CNS) have become a focus of research in recent decades. Objective: The study aimed to systematically summarize the pharmacological activities of U. rhynchophylla and its major components on the CNS. Method: This review summarized the experimental findings from our laboratories, together with other literature data obtained through a comprehensive search of databases including the Pubmed and the Web of Science. Results: U. rhynchophylla and its major components such as rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline have been shown to have neuroprotective effects on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, cerebral ischaemia through a number of mechanisms including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory actions and regulation on neurotransmitters. Conclusion: U. rhynchophylla and its major components have multiple beneficial pharmacological effects on CNS. Further studies on U. rhynchophylla and its major components are warranted to fully illustrate the underlying molecular mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and toxicological profiles of these naturally occurring compounds and their potential for clinical application.

scholarly journals Neuroprotective Aspects of Cannabinoid Compounds

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Reliable Data ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Neuroprotective Agents ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cannabinoid Compounds ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Effective Use

The accumulation of reliable data on the effects of cannabinoids is essential for understanding their possible beneficial effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Investigating individual substances along with the action of different combinations may show new possibilities for cannabinoids as neuroprotective agents. The data collected so far reveals the complexity of the mechanism of cannabinoids action on CNS, and even more complex and poorly understood are the effects when combined. Moreover, combining cannabinoids with different drugs and chemicals may lead to a decrease in beneficial effects. These characteristics of their action emphasize the complexity of the molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection and the lack of reliable information that may contribute to the safe and effective use of cannabinoids as medicines with valuable neuroprotective properties. The current brief review summarizes present data related to the protective effects of some cannabinoids on CNS and possible mechanisms involved in cannabinoid-mediated neuroprotection.

scholarly journals A Role of Ginseng and Its Constituents in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasya Trivena Rokot ◽  
Timothy Sean Kairupan ◽  
Kai-Chun Cheng ◽  
Joshua Runtuwene ◽  
Nova Hellen Kapantow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Pharmacological Effects ◽  
Intestinal Metabolism ◽  
Traditional Herbal Medicine ◽  
Perennial Plant ◽  
Enhanced Properties

Ginseng, a perennial plant belonging to thePanaxgenus of the Araliaceae family, has been used in China, Korea, and Japan as a traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Ginseng is recorded to have exhibited a wide variety of beneficial pharmacological effects and has become a popular and worldwide known health supplement and drug. The protective effects of ginseng on central nervous system are discussed in this review. Ginseng species and ginsenosides and their intestinal metabolism and bioavailability are concisely introduced. The molecular mechanisms of the effects of ginseng on central nervous system, mainly focused on the neuroprotection properties of ginseng, memory, and learning enhanced properties, and the effects on neurodegenerative disorders are presented. Thus, ginseng and its constituents are of potential merits in the treatment of cerebral disorders.

scholarly journals CAPE and Neuroprotection: A Review

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Marwa Balaha ◽  
Barbara De Filippis ◽  
Amelia Cataldi ◽  
Viviana di Giacomo
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester ◽  
Brain Inflammation ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Anti Fungal ◽  
Relationship Of

Propolis, a product of the honey bee, has been used in traditional medicine for many years. A hydrophobic bioactive polyphenolic ester, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), is one of the most extensively investigated active components of propolis. Several studies have indicated that CAPE has a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-proliferative, and anti-neoplastic properties. This review largely describes CAPE neuroprotective effects in many different conditions and summarizes its molecular mechanisms of action. CAPE was found to have a neuroprotective effect on different neurodegenerative disorders. At the basis of these effects, CAPE has the ability to protect neurons from several underlying causes of various human neurologic diseases, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis dysregulation, and brain inflammation. CAPE can also protect the nervous system from some diseases which negatively affect it, such as diabetes, septic shock, and hepatic encephalopathy, while numerous studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of CAPE against adverse reactions induced by different neurotoxic substances. The potential role of CAPE in protecting the central nervous system (CNS) from secondary injury following various CNS ischemic conditions and CAPE anti-cancer activity in CNS is also reviewed. The structure–activity relationship of CAPE synthetic derivatives is discussed as well.

scholarly journals Elucidating the Neuropathologic Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Pacheco-Herrero ◽  
Luis O. Soto-Rojas ◽  
Charles R. Harrington ◽  
Yazmin M. Flores-Martinez ◽  
Marcos M. Villegas-Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Neurological Manifestations ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
The Central Nervous System

The current pandemic caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a public health emergency. To date, March 1, 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused about 114 million accumulated cases and 2.53 million deaths worldwide. Previous pieces of evidence suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may affect the central nervous system (CNS) and cause neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients. It is also known that angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), the primary receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, is expressed in different brain areas and cell types. Thus, it is hypothesized that infection by this virus could generate or exacerbate neuropathological alterations. However, the molecular mechanisms that link COVID-19 disease and nerve damage are unclear. In this review, we describe the routes of SARS-CoV-2 invasion into the central nervous system. We also analyze the neuropathologic mechanisms underlying this viral infection, and their potential relationship with the neurological manifestations described in patients with COVID-19, and the appearance or exacerbation of some neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals Novel in vitro Experimental Approaches to Study Myelination and Remyelination in the Central Nervous System

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Marangon ◽  
Nicolò Caporale ◽  
Marta Boccazzi ◽  
Maria P. Abbracchio ◽  
Giuseppe Testa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Disease Modeling ◽  
Brain Physiology ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Approaches To Study ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Experimental Approaches

Myelin is the lipidic insulating structure enwrapping axons and allowing fast saltatory nerve conduction. In the central nervous system, myelin sheath is the result of the complex packaging of multilamellar extensions of oligodendrocyte (OL) membranes. Before reaching myelinating capabilities, OLs undergo a very precise program of differentiation and maturation that starts from OL precursor cells (OPCs). In the last 20 years, the biology of OPCs and their behavior under pathological conditions have been studied through several experimental models. When co-cultured with neurons, OPCs undergo terminal maturation and produce myelin tracts around axons, allowing to investigate myelination in response to exogenous stimuli in a very simple in vitro system. On the other hand, in vivo models more closely reproducing some of the features of human pathophysiology enabled to assess the consequences of demyelination and the molecular mechanisms of remyelination, and they are often used to validate the effect of pharmacological agents. However, they are very complex, and not suitable for large scale drug discovery screening. Recent advances in cell reprogramming, biophysics and bioengineering have allowed impressive improvements in the methodological approaches to study brain physiology and myelination. Rat and mouse OPCs can be replaced by human OPCs obtained by induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from healthy or diseased individuals, thus offering unprecedented possibilities for personalized disease modeling and treatment. OPCs and neural cells can be also artificially assembled, using 3D-printed culture chambers and biomaterial scaffolds, which allow modeling cell-to-cell interactions in a highly controlled manner. Interestingly, scaffold stiffness can be adopted to reproduce the mechanosensory properties assumed by tissues in physiological or pathological conditions. Moreover, the recent development of iPSC-derived 3D brain cultures, called organoids, has made it possible to study key aspects of embryonic brain development, such as neuronal differentiation, maturation and network formation in temporal dynamics that are inaccessible to traditional in vitro cultures. Despite the huge potential of organoids, their application to myelination studies is still in its infancy. In this review, we shall summarize the novel most relevant experimental approaches and their implications for the identification of remyelinating agents for human diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Сellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Proinflammatory Monocytes Participation in the Pathogenesis of Mental Disorders. Part 3

Psychiatry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
E. F. Vasilyeva ◽  
O. S. Brusov
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Microglial Cells ◽  
Inflammatory Reactions ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

Background: at present, the important role of the monocyte-macrophage link of immunity in the pathogenesis of mental diseases has been determined. In the first and second parts of our review, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of activation of monocytes/macrophages, which secreting proinflammatory CD16 receptors, cytokines, chemokines and receptors to them, in the development of systemic immune inflammation in the pathogenesis of somatic diseases and mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder (BAD) and depression were analyzed. The association of high levels of proinflammatory activity of monocytes/macrophages in patients with mental disorders with somatic comorbidity, including immune system diseases, is shown. It is known that proinflammatory monocytes of peripheral blood, as a result of violation of the integrity of the hematoencephalic barrier can migrate to the central nervous system and activate the resident brain cells — microglia, causing its activation. Activation of microglia can lead to the development of neuroinammation and neurodegenerative processes in the brain and, as a result, to cognitive disorders. The aim of review: to analyze the results of the main scientific studies concerning the role of cellular and molecular mechanisms of peripheral blood monocytes interaction with microglial cells and platelets in the development of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of mental disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Material and methods: keywords “mental disorders, AD, proinflammatory monocytes, microglia, neuroinflammation, cytokines, chemokines, cell adhesion molecules, platelets, microvesicles” were used to search for articles of domestic and foreign authors published over the past 30 years in the databases PubMed, eLibrary, Science Direct and EMBASE. Conclusion: this review analyzes the results of studies which show that monocytes/macrophages and microglia have similar gene expression profiles in schizophrenia, BAD, depression, and AD and also perform similar functions: phagocytosis and inflammatory responses. Monocytes recruited to the central nervous system stimulate the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), chemokines, for example, MCP-1 (Monocyte chemotactic protein-1) by microglial cells. This promotes the recruitment of microglial cells to the sites of neuronal damage, and also enhances the formation of the brain protein beta-amyloid (Aβ). The results of modern studies are presented, indicating that platelets are involved in systemic inflammatory reactions, where they interact with monocytes to form monocyte-platelet aggregates (MTA), which induce the activation of monocytes with a pro inflammatory phenotype. In the last decade, it has been established that activated platelets and other cells of the immune system, including monocytes, detached microvesicles (MV) from the membrane. It has been shown that MV are involved as messengers in the transport of biologically active lipids, cytokines, complement, and other molecules that can cause exacerbation of systemic inflammatory reactions. The presented review allows us to expand our knowledge about the cellular and molecular aspects of the interaction of monocytes/macrophages with microglial cells and platelets in the development of neuroinflammation and cognitive decline in the pathogenesis of mental diseases and in AD, and also helps in the search for specific biomarkers of the clinical severity of mental disorder in patients and the prospects for their response to treatment.

scholarly journals Foreign body responses in mouse central nervous system mimic natural wound responses and alter biomaterial functions

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. OʼShea ◽  
Alexander L. Wollenberg ◽  
Jae H. Kim ◽  
Yan Ao ◽  
Timothy J. Deming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Foreign Body ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Molecular Delivery ◽  
Wound Responses ◽  
The Central Nervous System

AbstractBiomaterials hold promise for therapeutic applications in the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known about molecular factors that determine CNS foreign body responses (FBRs) in vivo, or about how such responses influence biomaterial function. Here, we probed these factors in mice using a platform of injectable hydrogels readily modified to present interfaces with different physiochemical properties to host cells. We found that biomaterial FBRs mimic specialized multicellular CNS wound responses not present in peripheral tissues, which serve to isolate damaged neural tissue and restore barrier functions. We show that the nature and intensity of CNS FBRs are determined by definable properties that significantly influence hydrogel functions, including resorption and molecular delivery when injected into healthy brain or stroke injuries. Cationic interfaces elicit stromal cell infiltration, peripherally derived inflammation, neural damage and amyloid production. Nonionic and anionic formulations show minimal levels of these responses, which contributes to superior bioactive molecular delivery. Our results identify specific molecular mechanisms that drive FBRs in the CNS and have important implications for developing effective biomaterials for CNS applications.

scholarly journals Interferon β-Mediated Protective Functions of Microglia in Central Nervous System Autoimmunity

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Scheu ◽  
Shafaqat Ali ◽  
Ritu Mann-Nüttel ◽  
Lisa Richter ◽  
Volker Arolt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Interferon Β ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Cns Autoimmunity ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) leading to demyelination and axonal damage. It often affects young adults and can lead to neurological disability. Interferon β (IFNβ) preparations represent widely used treatment regimens for patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) with therapeutic efficacy in reducing disease progression and frequency of acute exacerbations. In mice, IFNβ therapy has been shown to ameliorate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS while genetic deletion of IFNβ or its receptor augments clinical severity of disease. However, the complex mechanism of action of IFNβ in CNS autoimmunity has not been fully elucidated. Here, we review our current understanding of the origin, phenotype, and function of microglia and CNS immigrating macrophages in the pathogenesis of MS and EAE. In addition, we highlight the emerging roles of microglia as IFNβ-producing cells and vice versa the impact of IFNβ on microglia in CNS autoimmunity. We finally discuss recent progress in unraveling the underlying molecular mechanisms of IFNβ-mediated effects in EAE.

In and Out of the Central Nervous System

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Aminoff
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Cranial Nerves ◽  
Motor Functions ◽  
System P ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
The Brain

In 1811, Bell had printed privately a monograph titled Idea of a New Anatomy of the Brain. In it, Bell correctly showed that the anterior but not the posterior roots had motor functions. François Magendie subsequently showed that the anterior roots were motor, and the posterior roots were sensory. This led to a dispute about priority during which Bell republished some of his early work with textual alterations to support his claims. Bell was involved in a similar dispute with Herbert Mayo concerning the separate functions of the fifth (sensory) and seventh (motor) cranial nerves, and Mayo today is a forgotten man. In both instances, Bell deserves credit for the concepts and initial experimental approach, and Magendie and Mayo deserve credit for obtaining and correctly interpreting the definitive experimental findings.

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