Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) are integral transmembrane proteins found in all mammalian cells. There is substantial evidence indicating that NHEs regulate inflammatory processes. Because intestinal epithelial cells express a variety of NHEs, we tested the possibility that NHEs are also involved in regulation of the epithelial cell inflammatory response. In addition, since the epithelial inflammator...

Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) contains harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine, has monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity, and has reported antiparkinsonian activity in humans when imbibed as a tea; however, its effects are poorly documented. For this reason, motor function was assessed in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated common marmosets following administration of B. c...

Depression is the most common illness observed in the elderly, adults, and children. Antidepressants prescribed are usually synthetic drugs and these can sometimes cause a wide range of unpleasant side effects. Current research is focussed on natural products from plants as they are a rich source of potent new drug leads. Besides Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), the plants studied includ...

OBJECTIVES Comprehensively review the evidence regarding the use of ayahuasca, an Amerindian medicine traditionally used to treat many different illnesses and diseases, to treat some types of cancer. METHODS An in-depth review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, books, institutional magazines, conferences and online texts in nonprofessional sources regarding the biomedical knowledge...

Delayed and anomalous rectification was studied in inferior olivary (I.O.) neurons in guinea pig brain stem slices maintained in vitro. Hyperpolarization of the I.O. cell beyond rest membrane potential was accompanied by anomalous rectification (AR). This consisted of 2 parts: an instantaneous and a time-dependent component. The "instantaneous" component was blocked by bath addition of Ba2+ or ...

Background: ß-carbolines, harmaline and harmine, are the major alkaloids presenting in the seeds of the Peganum harmala L. These alkaloids are known as herbal active principals with potential use in pharmaceutical and medicine. Objectives: To assess the growth inhibitory effect of phyto-alkaloids, harmaline and harmine, on cancer cell lines. Method...

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant beverage containing the serotonergic 5-HT(2A) agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine) that render it orally active. Ayahuasca ingestion is a central feature in several Brazilian syncretic churches that have expanded their activities to urban Brazil, Europe and North Am...

Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE) activation has been documented to contribute to endothelial cell injury caused by inflammatory states. However, the role of NHEs in regulation of the endothelial cell inflammatory response has not been investigated. The present study tested the hypothesis that NHEs contribute to endothelial cell inflammation induced by endotoxin or interleukin (IL)-1beta. NHE inhibiti...