Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune neuroinflammatory disease found mostly in young adults in the western world. Oxidative stress induced neuronal apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MS. In current study, astragaloside IV (ASI), a natural saponin molecule isolated from Astragalus membranceus, given at 20 mg/kg daily attenuated the severity of experimental autoim...

Background:Arterial stiffening increases both the systolic blood and pulse pressures, which is known to be a major contributor to atherosclerosis and the most important cause of cardiovascular disease. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of the arterial stiffness index (ASI), using a computerized oscillometric device, by comparison with the pulse wave velocity (PWV), and to in...

Stem cell-based therapy is a promising treatment strategy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanism underlying the maintenance of renewal and replacement capabilities of endogenous progenitor cells or engrafted stem cells in a pathological environment remains elusive. To investigate the effect of astragaloside IV (ASI) on the proliferation and diffe...

The aim of the present study was to examine residues that are variably spliced in the juvenile and adult isoforms of the skeletal-muscle RyR1 (type 1 ryanodine receptor). The juvenile ASI(-) splice variant is less active than the adult ASI(+) variant and is overexpressed in patients with DM (myotonic dystrophy) [Kimura, Nakamori, Lueck, Pouliquin, Aoike, Fujimura, Dirksen, Takahashi, Dulhunty a...

A series presenting the results of activities sponsored by the NA TO Science Committee, which aims at the dissemination of advanced scientific and technoiogicai knowiedge, with a view to strengthening links between scientific communities. Recent Volumes in this Series Volume 181—Fundamental Processes of Atomic Dynamics edited by J. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval s...

BACKGROUND Colon cancer is curable by surgery, but cure rate depends on the extent of disease. We investigated whether adjuvant active specific immunotherapy (ASI) with an autologous tumour cell-BCG vaccine with surgical resection was more beneficial than resection alone in stage II and III colon cancer. METHODS In a prospective randomised trial, 254 patients with colon cancer were randomly a...

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with various forms of psychopathology. The most common measure of AS is the anxiety sensitivity index-3 (ASI-3). The current study examined the psychometric properties and factor structure of the ASI-3 in an acute and comorbid population seeking treatment for a broad range of psychopathology (N=382). Results confirmed a bi-factor structure and suggested th...

Inhibition of microglia activation may provide therapeutic treatment for many neurodegenerative diseases. Astragaloside IV (ASI) with anti-inflammatory properties has been tested as a therapeutic drug in clinical trials of China. However, the mechanism of ASI inhibiting neuroinflammation is unknown. In this study, we showed that ASI inhibited microglia activation both in vivo and in vitro. It c...

Background. The incidence rate of healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (HA-CDI) is estimated at 1 in 100 patients. Antibiotic exposure is the most consistently reported risk factor. Strategies to reduce HA-CDI have focused on reducing antibiotic utilization. Prospective audit and feedback (PAF) is a commonly used antimicrobial stewardship intervention (ASi). The impact of this ...

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) may be associated with several psychological and affective disorders. It is controversial, however, if these symptoms are a cause or rather a consequence of alcohol dependence. There are few data testing simultaneously psychosocial and affective disorders before and after a period of alcohol abstinence. The aim of this study was to perform multiple psychometric eval...