This work aimed to assess some pharmacological activities of P. leptostachya var. asiatica Hara. The dried roots of P. leptostachya var. asiatica Hara were extracted with 70% ethanol to generate the powdered extract, named PLE. Anti-angiogenic activity was detected using chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated via analyzing nitric oxide (NO)...

Development of therapies based on the growth inhibition of new blood vessels is among the most intensively studied approaches to the treatment of cancer and other angiogenesis-related diseases. Shark cartilage has been proven to have inhibitory effects on the endothelial cell angiogenesis, metastasis, cell adhesion and MMP (matrix metalloprotease) activity. In the present study, we have used a ...

RGS (regulators of G-protein signalling) are a diverse group of proteins, which accelerate intrinsic GTP hydrolysis on heterotrimeric G-protein a subunits. They are involved in the control of a physiological behaviour known as 'relaxation' of G-protein-gated K+ channels in cardiac myocytes. The GTPase-accelerating activity of cardiac RGS proteins, such as RGS4, is inhibited by PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 (...

Isometrically suspended uteri from estrogen-primed rats were stimulated with prostaglandin F2 alpha and then exposed to relaxin. Relaxin-dependent decreases in the ratio of phosphorylated to total myosin light chains (MLC) and in MLC kinase activity, measured in the presence of 0.5 mg/ml of uterine myosin and the absence and presence of Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM), were observed. The time-course and ...

A rat brain Golgi sialyltransferase activity capable of the differentiation-dependent control of N-CAM sialylation state is described. The specific activity of Golgi sialyltransferase was found to be developmentally regulated with respect to both endogenous and exogenous protein acceptors, with a particular elevation on postnatal days 10-12 when the heavily sialylated or 'embryonic' form of N-C...

The relationship between the CaM-CaMK-CREB signal pathway and the treatment for cervical spondylosis by guizhi plus gegen decoction was studied. Group intervention on fibrous ring cells of cervical intervertebral disc of adult rats by medicine serum mixed with Guizhi plus Gegen decoction, blank serum and fetal calf serum respectively was made. Detect by MTT colorimetric assay the growth curve o...

Intra-endolysosomal Ca(2+) release is required for endolysosomal membrane fusion with intracellular organelles. However, the molecular mechanisms for intra-endolysosomal Ca(2+) release and the downstream Ca(2+) targets involved in the fusion remain elusive. Previously, we demonstrated that endolysosomal P2X4 forms channels activated by luminal adenosine triphosphate in a pH-dependent manner. In...

complementary and alternative medicine (cam) is frequently used in portugal and it contributes to the improvement of people’s health. cam and western medicine (wm) are taken as complements both in the diagnosis and the treatment stage. the portuguese health system is able to generate certified cam professionals but the provision of cam care and services is not included in the national health sy...

PURPOSE To evaluate the angiogenic inhibitory effects of an alpha(v)beta(3)/alpha(v)beta(5) integrin antagonist, EMD478761, released from a polymeric implant in a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and laser-induced experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in rats. METHODS Polyvinyl alcohol-based reservoir implants releasing EMD478761 were designed for placement onto a CAM or i...

BACKGROUND The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is well described in human medicine as a cost-effective, easy to perform preclinical oncological model for observing pro- and antiangiogenic response, tumor biology and metastasis. The main objective of this article was to present the modification of the CAM assay in order to evaluate tumor growth from two feline fibrosarcoma cell...