Intraarticular injection of hyaluronan (viscosupplementation) is commonly used to treat knee pain from osteoarthritis. The therapeutic benefit might derive from hyaluronan inhibition of the activity of the cytokine-regulated catabolic enzymes that attack joint cartilage (matrix metalloproteinases). We tested the hypothesis that hyaluronan inhibited interleukin-1beta-induced matrix metalloprotei...

We recently found that low-molecular-weight hyaluronan was induced by cyclic stretch in lung fibroblasts and accumulated in lungs from animals with ventilator-induced lung injury. The low-molecular-weight hyaluronan produced by stretch increased interleukin-8 production in epithelial cells, and was accompanied by an upregulation of hyaluronan synthase-3 mRNA. We hypothesized that low-molecular-...

During inflammation, lower molecular weight fragments of hyaluronan accumulate, and this is known to be inflammatory and immune-stimulatory. In diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory cells bind to hyaluronan; however, the cellular response and molecular mechanism of hyaluronan-hyaluronan receptor interactions in mononuclear cells are not well understood. The expression of hya...

Heparan sulfate has been isolated for the first time from the mosquito Anopheles stephensi, a known vector for Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria. Chondroitin sulfate, but not dermatan sulfate or hyaluronan, was also present in the mosquito. The glycosaminoglycans were isolated, from salivary glands and midguts of the mosquito in quantities sufficient for disaccharide microan...

Dietary constituents of 2 types have been shown to affect the metabolism of chemical carcinogens by the microsomal mixed-function oxidase system. Naturally occurring inducers of increased activity of this system are present in plants. Cruciferous vegetables including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower are relatively potent in this regard. From these vegetables, three indoles with induci...

Administration of the antioxidants 2(3)-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and ethoxyquin (1,2-dihydro-6-ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline) with the diet resulted in a marked decrease in the levels of mutagens present in mice treated with benzo(a)pyrene. This was reflected in the results of the host-mediated assay and determinations of the mutagenic activities of the urine, with the use of the sen...

BACKGROUND In the last years, food grade antioxidants are used safely as an alternative to traditional fungicides to control fungal growth in several food and agricultural products. AIMS In this work, the effect of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and propyl paraben (PP) on two hydrolytic enzyme activity (β-d-glucosidase and α-d-galactosidase) by Aspergillus section Nigri species under differen...

Supplementation of the diets of rats with branched chain amino acids (BCAA: leucine, isoleucine, valine) did not alter their susceptibility to chronic poisoning by tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), which contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). Phenobarbital in the diet, which alters liver microsomal enzyme activity, also did not alter susceptibility to PA poisoning. A combination of ...

Hyaluronan is made and extruded from cells to form a pericellular or extracellular matrix (ECM) and is present in virtually all tissues in the body. The size and form of hyaluronan present in tissues are indicative of a healthy or inflamed tissue, and the interactions of hyaluronan with immune cells can influence their response. Thus, in order to understand how inflammation is regulated, it is ...

To analyze the role of cell proliferation in phenolic compound-induced rat forestomach carcinogenesis, early forestomach histopathological changes as well as oncogene expression and reversibility of early forestomach lesions were examined in F344 male rats. For the analysis of early lesions, five animals each were treated with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), caffeic acid, sesamol, or 4-methoxyp...