👤 Hira Jabeen

Prosopis cineraria is traditionally used to enhance cognitive function and manage mental disorders. Its stem bark is valued in ethnomedicine, but its potential anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effects are scientifically unexplored. This research has examined the neuroprotective effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of P. cineraria bark (Pc-EA) against AlCl Diseased rats were treated with Pc-EA (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) for 42 days. Cognitive and affective functions were evaluated with behavioral tests on days 29-42. Biochemical assays measured oxidative stress and cholinesterase activity, while RT-PCR quantified neuroinflammatory markers. Histopathological examination was performed to evaluate the integrity of hippocampal regions. Bioactive compounds were identified by phytochemical profiling (HPLC, GC-MS), and molecular docking was performed to assess binding interactions with acetylcholinesterase. AlCl Pc-EA demonstrated multi-targeted neuroprotection in AlCl Show less

This study aimed to investigate alterations in the expression of four key cytokines (IL-7, IL-11, IL-15, and IL-27) and assess differential FAM26F expression in response to Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Additionally, it sought to analyze changes in these cytokines after treatment in 244 chronic HCV patients and 28 controls undergoing various treatments, including standard interferon, pegylated interferon, and Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs). The objective was to compare immune system regulation between treatment groups. The expression levels of FAM26F and the cytokines (IL-7, IL-11, IL-15, and IL-27) were evaluated using Real-time qPCR in PBMCs of treatment groups. Results revealed significant downregulation of IL-7 and IL-27 in infected individuals compared to healthy controls, persisting even after treatment. This suggests the crucial roles of these immune modulators in facilitating the necessary T-cell response for viral clearance. IL-11 expression also remained suppressed post-treatment, supporting viral clearance by restoring the Th1 response. The decrease in IL-11 levels during treatment indicates the restoration of the Th1 response, vital for viral clearance. IL-15, the key cytokine regulating cytotoxic cells (NKT and NK cells), displayed consistent expression across all sample groups, indicating maintained IL-15-induced cytotoxicity in both control and infected individuals. Additionally, FAM26F expression was reduced in the HCV-infected group compared to controls, but higher in HCV-recovered cases, potentially due to reduced infection and enhanced immunity. In conclusion, this research unveils the relationship between FAM26F and HCV infection, highlighting the virus's tendency to suppress cytokine and FAM26F expression. An effective treatment strategy for establishing an ideal host immune response may involve restoring FAM26F and cytokine expression to their normal levels. Show less

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been associated with the hallmark features of cholinergic dysfunction, amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation and impaired synaptic transmission, which makes the associated proteins, such as β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE I), acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and synapsin I, II and III, major targets for therapeutic intervention. The present study investigated the therapeutic potential of three major phytochemicals of Show less

We screened variants on an exome-focused genotyping array in >300,000 participants (replication in >280,000 participants) and identified 444 independent variants in 250 loci significantly associated with total cholesterol (TC), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and/or triglycerides (TG). At two loci (JAK2 and A1CF), experimental analysis in mice showed lipid changes consistent with the human data. We also found that: (i) beta-thalassemia trait carriers displayed lower TC and were protected from coronary artery disease (CAD); (ii) excluding the CETP locus, there was not a predictable relationship between plasma HDL-C and risk for age-related macular degeneration; (iii) only some mechanisms of lowering LDL-C appeared to increase risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D); and (iv) TG-lowering alleles involved in hepatic production of TG-rich lipoproteins (TM6SF2 and PNPLA3) tracked with higher liver fat, higher risk for T2D, and lower risk for CAD, whereas TG-lowering alleles involved in peripheral lipolysis (LPL and ANGPTL4) had no effect on liver fat but decreased risks for both T2D and CAD. Show less